Judge Reinstates Bond for Brandon Mosher After Court Finds Insufficient Evidence of Violation
ASHLAND, OH — An Ashland County Common Pleas Court judge has reinstated the bond for Brandon Richard Mosher after determining that the State failed to present reliable evidence proving he violated the conditions of his release.
The ruling came following a video hearing held January 23, 2026, before Judge David R. Stimpert in Case No. 25-CRI-137, stemming from Mosher’s motion to reinstate bond filed January 14. Mosher was represented by Attorney James Mayer III, while the State of Ohio was represented by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Metcalf.
Mosher’s bond had been revoked on December 5, 2025, after prosecutors alleged he violated a specific bond condition prohibiting him from possessing electronic devices or any device capable of accessing the internet. That condition had been imposed when bond was originally set on August 22, 2025.
According to court records, Mosher was permitted to use a non-internet-capable phone strictly for compliance with the court’s bond supervision program. During a prior hearing, testimony indicated that Mosher used that phone to communicate with his wife, who then accessed the internet on his behalf for purposes such as job searches and managing financial accounts. The court found that testimony credible and noted that no direct evidence had been introduced to contradict it.
The central issue considered by the court involved Facebook account records obtained through subpoena, which appeared to show Mosher’s account “unfollowing” another individual after his release on bond — an action that, on its face, could suggest internet use.
However, further investigation revealed that the individual in question had “blocked” Mosher on the same date. The court noted that Facebook was unable or unwilling to clarify whether a third-party block would automatically generate an account log entry indicating the defendant had unfollowed that person.
In its written judgment entry, the court emphasized that under Article I, Section 9 of the Ohio Constitution, criminal defendants possess a fundamental right to reasonable bail, except in limited circumstances authorized by law. Judge Stimpert wrote that while the Facebook records showed a change in account status, the evidence did not reliably establish that the change resulted from any affirmative act by Mosher, rather than unilateral action by a third party.
“Without speculation,” the court stated, the evidence did not permit a finding that Mosher engaged in prohibited conduct.
As a result, Judge Stimpert ruled the motion to reinstate bond was well-taken and ordered Mosher’s bond reinstated under the same conditions previously imposed. Mosher is to be released after signing a new personal recognizance bond and must immediately report to court bailiffs for reenrollment in the court’s GPS pre-trial supervision program.
All remaining bond conditions remain in full effect. The court warned that any future violation would subject Mosher to immediate arrest.
The judgment entry was filed January 23, 2026, Brandon Mosher was bonded out that day.
