FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The former Flagstaff Police officer charged with aggravated assault after punching a woman in the face was back in court Monday after he was re-indicted last month.
Nearly one and a half years since Jeffrey Bonar threw the punch which led him to resign before getting fired, Bonar appeared in court telephonically, along with his attorney, Marc Victor and the prosecutor, James Schoppmann.
“Hopefully when we reconvene next time, which maybe will be 45 or 60 days down the road, we can actually pick a trial date,” Victor said.
“Your honor, I agree this case is headed for trial. There was a plea offer that was not accepted by the defendant,” Schoppmann said.
A bystander captured the recording of the then-officer Bonar hitting Marissa Morris in the face on November 16, 2016.
Two grand juries indicted Bonar on charges of aggravated assault, twice.
The defense caught a break last September, when Coconino County Superior Court Judge Cathleen Brown Nichols, decided the first time around, the prosecution left out laws and evidence which may have shown Bonar was not guilty.
Even after hearing more information, a new grand jury slammed Bonar with a second indictment.
Benjamin Taylor, the civil rights attorney representing Morris in a civil suit against Bonar and the City of Flagstaff, said the re-indictment showed the case against Bonar was strong.
“For them to go back to the grand jury and re-indict him, the prosecution must believe that they have a strong case against officer Bonar,” Taylor said.
After the February 2018 re-indictment, Bonar sat charged with two counts of aggravated assault, to which he pleaded not guilty.
Bonar is scheduled back in court on April 16.