A Circuit Court judge cut the $1 million bail for an Air Force sergeant accused of attempted murder and released him to his parents’ supervision following his re-indictment for the alleged shooting of two men outside a Pearl City strip club in 2011.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Claude Custard, 35, of Ewa Beach pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted second-degree murder and three firearm violations in connection with a December 2011 shooting in front of the Princess Palace strip club.
Circuit Judge Richard Perkins granted a request by Custard’s attorney, Myles Breiner, that his $1 million bail be reduced. His bail was cut to $100,000.
Breiner questioned why Custard’s bail was increased "tenfold" since his first arrest in 2011. Custard’s bail was set at $250,000 in 2011 and was later reduced to $100,000.
Breiner said the city prosecutor’s fears that Custard is a flight risk are groundless.
In releasing Custard to his parents, Perkins noted that Custard has been out on $100,000 bail for the past 2 1⁄2 years without incident.
In the early morning on Dec. 3, 2011, Custard argued with a 24-year-old man in the Princess Palace strip club at the Pearl City Business Plaza, and the dispute continued in the parking lot at 803 Kamehameha Highway, police said.
Police said Custard allegedly fired a handgun as one of the two men drove off, striking one man multiple times and critically injuring him. Custard then allegedly fired at the second man and missed him.
Delays in taking the case to trial prompted Circuit Judge Randal Lee to dismiss the case July 3, but he allowed the case to be refiled.
An Oahu grand jury re-indicted Custard on the same charges July 9.
Custard is an electrician with the 647th Civil Engineer Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
One of the victims has filed a civil suit against Custard and the owner of the bar, Breiner told the judge.
Custard’s trial is scheduled to begin the week of Sept. 15.
