CRAWFORD COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A Crawford County circuit court has reduced the bail amount for a Fort Smith man charged with manslaughter in connection with his nephew’s death.

David Alverson, 50, was charged with felony manslaughter and an additional count as a habitual offender on December 13, 2022, after his nephew had a medical emergency at the Crawford County jail and later died. Alverson’s nephew, Jacob Jones, 26, was arrested by Van Buren police on an outstanding warrant on October 14, 2022, and video taken inside a police cruiser showed him remove a bag of what appeared to be drugs and swallow it beside Alverson.

Alverson’s court-appointed attorney, Michael Rabey, filed a motion with Division 1 Judge Marc R. McCune on February 16 requesting that Alverson’s bail be lowered from $150,000. That motion noted that the defendant “would be able to make a more reasonable bond” and it cited an Arkansas rule of civil procedure which states that bail should not be punitive, but that it exists “simply and solely to insure his appearance in court for any proceedings in his case.”

Following a February 22 hearing on the matter, the judge signed an order granting the request on February 23. Alverson’s bail was lowered to $15,000 and his next court appearance is scheduled for April 4.