Harris County judge allows convicted murderer to remain free on bond to get haircut

HOUSTON - This is not the first time 351st Criminal District Court Judge Nata Cornelio has allowed a defendant to remain free after pleading guilty to a violent crime on June 28, 2021.

Gregory Moore, 30, was gunned down by 33-year-old James Ray Lane.

"If he would have just hurt him, I'd have been fine," said Moore's father, Gregory Lamonte Johnson. "But he was shooting to kill."

Moore a father of four was visiting Houston from New York.

PREVIOUS BREAKING BOND: Convicted felon free on multiple bonds pleads guilty to murder, no sentencing in 6 months

"There's so much these kids are going to miss because this boy did something stupid," said Moore's stepmother Tabitha Soules.

Judge Cornelio lowered Lane's $250,00 bond to $100,000.

He's been out on bond for two years and has multiple curfew violations.

On August 17, Lane is back before Judge Cornelio.

"He goes back to court and actually pleads guilty to murder," said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers.

Then according to court documents, Cornelio allows Lane to remain free on bond until his sentencing, so he could get a haircut.

"I've not seen someone actually convicted of murder and then allowed to remain on bond pending sentencing," Kahan said. "This is a first."

We can confirm Lane did go to Mr. Dunns Barbershop for a haircut.

"He just told me this was the last time he was going to see me. I was like why are you moving," said barber Quinta Durgan who cut Lane's hair. "He said I've got to turn myself in, I murdered somebody."

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Gregory Moore's dad and stepmom couldn't believe the judge allowed Lane to remain free.

"I think that's nonsense," Moore's father said. "If he pleaded guilty he should have been locked up right then."

"Let him go get a haircut for what," Soules said. "My son can't go get a haircut. He can't see his kids get a haircut. That boy should have been locked up from the beginning."

Back in March, Judge Cornelio allowed Christopher Diaz to remain free on bond after pleading guilty to assaulting a family member and getting a 14-year prison sentence,

Diaz spent almost a month on the run after failing to return to court to begin his prison sentence.