PARKLAND, Fla. _ Ex-school cop Scot Peterson could get out of jail as early as Thursday after a judge slashed his jail bond by more than half, dropping it to $39,500.
He has 48 hours after being released to present his passport. His girlfriend, Lydia Rodriguez, is driving the passport down from North Carolina to Broward County within 12 hours.
In a bond hearing Thursday, Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer also modified the terms of Peterson's pretrial release. He no longer is required to wear a GPS tracking device, which means he can go home to North Carolina before his trial.
Peterson was the closest deputy to the gunman during the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, when a former student gunned down 17 people. Peterson faces 11 charges for failing to confront the Parkland shooter.
Peterson isn't allowed to work around children, the judge ruled.
Peterson's original bond amount was $102,000.
The prosecutors' office argued that the court should follow the bail terms set forth by Judge Andrew Seigel, who signed the initial affidavit.
Peterson's defense argued that he isn't a flight risk, or someone who would be likely to disappear from the country. That's because Peterson has appeared in court every time he was summoned and was a longtime resident of the community.
