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(April 17) Accused daycare murderer Suzanne Johnson could be freed on bail soon.

A judge reduced Johnson's bail from $250,000 to $150,000 and set her retrial for August 3, 1998. Johnson, who has been imprisoned since the June 1997 death of six-month-old Jasmine Miller, will not be allowed to leave San Diego and must stay away from small children if she is freed on bond. A mistrial in Johnson's first trial was declared this past Monday when jurors deadlocked and could not reach a verdict. Regarding the murder charge against Johnson, jurors were divided 7-to-5 (seven thought she was not guilty of the death of six-month-old Jasmine Miller; five thought she was guilty). Jurors were evenly split 6-to-6 regarding the "assault on a child resulting in death" charge.

Johnson's lawyers had asked that the bail be reduced to $100,000. But Johnson's relatives indicated that they would be able to post the 10 percent of the bond required by bond officers plus property assets to free Johnson. Many of Johnson's friends and relatives, as well as a juror from the first trial, were present in court to support her. As the judge announced his decision, Crystal Miller, the mother of baby Jasmine, started sobbing and was clearing upset by the decision. When the mistrial was declared on Monday, Crystal yelled at Johnson, saying, "Why don't you tell the truth? You know you did it...how could you stand up there and lie?"

In today's arguments, Johnson's defense lawyer Marc Carlos argued that the bail should be reduced because his client was not a danger to society. Carlos also pointed out that the prosecution did not prove their case in the first trial and that Johnson was not a threat to flee the state because her family and friends were there. He also indicated that because of coverage on Court TV, Johnson could be recognized and therefore, really had nowhere to flee. The prosecution argued that Johnson should not be released because the extent of the victim's injuries showed that Johnson was dangerous.

The relatives of Suzanne Johnson were overjoyed by the decision and promised that jurors would see a new, "livelier" Johnson at her second trial. Prison, they said, took its toll on Johnson, and her release will invigorate her.