Felon given rare chance at freedom shoots victim again, police say

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10220013

BY TODD COOPER
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

In January 2006, a jury convicted Cordell Stewart of shooting Chiwanda Ammons.

Four months later, Douglas County District Court Judge Joseph Troia declared Stewart a habitual criminal and sentenced him to 30 to 40 years in prison.


Cordell Stewart


Despite the hefty sentence, the habitual criminal tag and Stewart's earlier threat to a prosecutor, Troia then set a $25,000 appeal bond, which allowed Stewart to get out of prison while he appealed his convictions.

So what did Stewart, 34, do with the freedom the judge granted him? Omaha police say he shot Ammons again.

On Nov. 29, Ammons, 33, was taken to the hospital in critical condition after he was shot outside a store. He has since recovered and has described to police how he felt a bullet enter his back, and turned to see Stewart pointing a gun at him.

Ammons told police he assumed that Stewart was on the streets because the judge had put him on probation for the first shooting. Troia had not; but he had given Stewart several rare shots at freedom.


FULL story at link.