Pasco rape suspect released from jail after posting bond

A Pasco man accused of giving too much insulin to a woman and raping her is out of jail after a judge lowered his bail.

James E. Bernhard, 37, posted bond on $150,000 and was released from the Franklin County jail Tuesday evening.

Hours earlier, Judge Bruce Spanner reduced bail from $200,000 over the objection of Deputy Prosecutor Maureen Astley.

Bernhard had been locked up since April 14.

Attorney Jim Egan argued that his client is not a flight risk because he is a wildlife biologist who works at the Hanford nuclear reservation and has family in the area.

Bernhard is charged in Franklin County Superior Court with first-degree rape and first-degree assault, both with domestic violence allegations.

He pleaded innocent and has a trial date of June 8.

Paramedics responded April 11 to a 911 call about a woman who had a seizure while taking a shower.

They noticed the woman was bleeding severely and had bruises on her face and head, court documents said. She was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center, where doctors rushed her into surgery because she’d lost so much blood.

After surgery, the victim told investigators she believed Bernhard drugged her while she was sleeping. She is a diabetic and an overdose of insulin can induce a coma-like state.

Bernhard initially denied knowing anything about the woman’s injuries, then said he “could have blacked out from drinking too much alcohol and assaulted (the victim),” documents said.

This story was originally published April 19, 2016 at 7:48 PM with the headline "Pasco rape suspect released from jail after posting bond."