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Bevel out on bond
Nearly three weeks after sentencing the Rev. James Luther Bevel to 15 years in prison for incest, Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge Burke McCahill set a $30,000 bond in the case so the former civil rights leader can spend the appeal process and likely the rest of his life outside of prison.
Testimony during the Oct. 15 sentencing hearing revealed that Bevel was diagnosed in early October with pancreatic cancer that had spread to his liver. He was given between six weeks and six months to live.
In April, a jury convicted Bevel of incest for having sex with one of his daughters in Leesburg when she was a teenager in the 1990s. The jury recommended Bevel serve 15 years in prison and pay a $50,000 fine, a sentence McCahill upheld.
However, during a hearing Nov. 4, McCahill decided it was appropriate to set bond for Bevel while the case goes through the appeals process.
So Bevel is now out on bond on condition that he remain in Virginia and have no unsupervised contact with minors.
According to Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney Jim Plowman, his office objected to bond being granted.
During sentencing testimony Oct. 15, Bevel talked about his illness and some things he needs to take care of before he dies.
“I need to do some reconciling with my family,” he said.
Through the course of the trial and sentencing, Bevel maintained that he did not have sex with his daughter.
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