Columbus judge weighs freeing suspect on bond in Animal Farm restroom recording case
The ex-restaurateur accused of illegally recording coworkers and customers in The Animal Farm eatery downtown could be released on bond in the coming weeks.
During a hearing Tuesday in Muscogee Superior Court, Judge Ben Richardson asked attorneys in the case against Dennis Cleveland “Landon” Thompson to submit proposed bond orders in 10 days, and scheduled a followup court hearing for Dec. 21.
Formerly a chef at the 105 12th St. restaurant, Thompson so far faces 11 counts of unlawful eavesdropping or surveillance, and six counts each of child sexual exploitation and of illegally installing recording devices. Prosecutor George Lipscomb said Columbus police continue to identify additional victims, and more charges are expected.
Previously represented by attorney Mark Post, Thompson on Tuesday had a new lawyer, William Kendrick, who asked Richardson to set bonds totaling $50,000 so his client can be released from the Muscogee County jail, where he has been held since he surrendered to police Sept. 28.
“Right now, factually and legally he’s innocent until proven guilty,” Kendrick told the judge.
Kendrick called Thompson “a perfect candidate for bond” because the suspect is from Columbus, has extensive family ties here and remains invested in the business.
His share of that business now is in dispute, in a civil proceeding, and one of the women identified as a victim in the criminal case has filed a civil court claim against Thompson, Kendrick said.
Those factors make him less likely to flee from prosecution, were he freed on bond, the attorney said, because Thompson would lose everything he has worked for if he left town. He is “literally fighting for his life and his business,” Kendrick said.
Thompson’s father Dennis “Landy” Thompson and uncle Dan Stallings testified on the suspect’s behalf, saying a relative always would be available to monitor the defendant, were he released.
“He will never be alone,” the uncle said.
The father said he planned to have his son help remodel a house, a task likely to take about four months. He would pay his son for the work, he said.
“I would have to compensate somebody, and I’d rather it be him,” he told Richardson.
Kendrick said his client needs an income, because the restaurant no longer is paying him. Thompson by court order is not allowed in the business.
Lipscomb said the suspect’s former coworkers worry he may yet be a threat to them, because he was known to use drugs and play with guns, once accidentally shooting himself in the restaurant.
“They are concerned for their safety for those reasons,” Lipscomb said.
Kendrick said the family has removed all firearms from their home, in anticipation of Thompson’s eventual release.
The attorney noted also that Thompson has a MRSA or Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infection that is resistant to antibiotics. Thompson’s father said his son needs a periodic intravenous treatment for that, and he has not been treated in jail.
Thompson again will turn himself in if police file additional charges, Kendrick said: “We will deliver Mr. Thompson on a silver platter.”
Richardson said he will weigh all those factors in deciding whether to set a bond, and how much of a bond to set. He asked for evidence of Thompson’s medical condition, and said he also wanted an email or other correspondence from police regarding the status of their investigation.
He said Thompson so far is not legally entitled to a bond, by law, because he has not yet been jailed for 90 days. The 90-day mark will be Dec. 27, attorneys said.
Besides the counts related to the restaurant, Thompson also faces charges for illegally recording guests in bathrooms at his home in Columbus and his parents’ home in Harris County, Lipscomb said.
Thompson started the restaurant with partner Hudson Terrell, the other owner. Terrell told the Ledger-Enquirer in a September phone interview that he notified police after he discovered restroom videos stored on a restaurant computer, and then found the recording devices.
Police said Tuesday that anyone who used the restaurant restrooms from July 1 through Sept. 1 should call 706-225-3164 or email Sgt. Alicia Hoover at ahoover@columbusga.org, as they also may have been recorded.