Carl Garrison was initially convicted of sexually assaulting a child, but won his appeal. Now, courts have set new bail while the state Supreme Court looks at the ruling.
WOODBURY -- Bail was set at $300,000 on Friday for a Monroe Township man who had his child sex assault conviction overturned this summer. The state Attorney General's Office, meanwhile, is asking the state Supreme Court to reconsider the appeal.
Carl Garrison was facing more than 50 years in prison in 2013 after he was convicted of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He won an appeal in August, however, when his attorney successfully argued that the details of another offense that Garrison allegedly committed in Alabama should not have been included as evidence in his trial.
Carl J. Garrison, convicted in 2013 of aggravated sexual assault and child endangerment (NJ Department of Corrections).Garrison was initially convicted for sexually assaulting his girlfriend's daughter in 2010 in their Monroe Township home. However, he also admitted to playing strip poker with the 11-year-old and her older sister during a stay that summer in Alabama. Garrison was charged when the girls told their father, with whom they now live.
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An appeals court agreed with Garrison's attorney that the Alabama incident -- which never resulted in any charges -- were not sufficiently relevant to be included in court.
As a result of the appellate decision, the court was obligated to set bail a second time. Garrison still faces sexual assault and child endangerment charges, although the AG's Office has asked the New Jersey Supreme Court to reconsider whether he should have had his conviction overturned in the first place.
"The New Jersey Attorney General's Office has petitioned the state Supreme Court to reconsider that ruling," said a statement from the GCPO. "Pending a decision on that petition, bail had to be set on the original charges."
The prosecutor's office did not indicated that Garrison had posted the bail.
Andy Polhamus may be reached at apolhamus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ajpolhamus. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
