DANVERS — A Danversport teen charged with vehicular homicide in the death of an elderly Peabody woman last fall offered to plead guilty yesterday but balked when a Salem District Court judge said he'd have to face more jail time.
Buck Bishop, 19, will now take his chances before a jury in a trial set for Oct. 1. If convicted, he could face up to 21/2 years in jail.
Bishop is charged with causing the head-on collision last Nov. 16 that killed 73-year-old Joyce Oliver and injured two others on Route 1 near the Danvers-Topsfield line.
Bishop told police he was on his way to a methadone clinic when he blacked out at the wheel. Police found no evidence that Bishop was under the influence of opiates at the time, but Bishop did allegedly admit that he had used cocaine two days before the crash.
Bishop was originally released on personal surety following his arraignment last March, but was locked up after missing a drug test and showing up for court appearing to be under the influence. Yesterday, his lawyer asked Judge Robert Cornetta to release Bishop, saying Bishop "has paid for his transgression."
"He's had a chance to cool off," said lawyer Michael Cioffi, who said Bishop would be willing to move in with his mother.
Prosecutor Jane Prince argued that if Bishop is released it should be on high bail, considering the difficulty police had in tracking him down after the accident and his failure to report for a drug test. She urged the judge to set a $25,000 bail.
"It's clear Mr. Bishop is facing a serious amount of time," Prince said. That, said the prosecutor, could lead him to decide not to return to court.
Cornetta set bail at $10,000 cash, an amount Cioffi said Bishop's family would not be able to post. Cioffi said he intends to appeal the bail to a Superior Court judge later this week.
Members of Oliver's family, who had been told Bishop planned to plead guilty, filled a row of seats in the courtroom yesterday.
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