The Davidson County General Sessions Court judicial magistrate who set the $10,000 bond for Shaquille Taylor in a case related to an alleged carjacking that occurred in September was identified to The Tennessee Star by the State Warrant and Bond Office on Friday as Steve Holzapfel. Taylor is accused of shooting 18-year-old Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig in the head after missing a court appearance related to the carjacking case.
Ludwig died on Thursday, two days after Taylor allegedly shot her while she was walking near the Belmont University campus. Taylor is currently in custody with a new bond of $280,000 on charges that are expected to be upgraded to murder.
Holzapfel (pictured above) is the official behind the low, $10,000 bond set for Taylor after his September 21 arrest for an alleged carjacking. Holzapfel granted the $10,000 bond shortly after the arrest, and it was paid just two days later, prompting his release from Metro Nashville Davidson County Jail.
Even before Taylor allegedly shot Ludwig on Tuesday, he skipped out on the $10,000 bond set by Holzapfel by missing a court case on November 3. Taylor’s bail bondsman for that case, Brooke Harlan, told The Star her company was in the process of securing a new court date for Taylor at the time of his latest arrest and confirmed the dollar amount set by Holzapfel seemed low.
Holzapfel did not return an email from The Star that questioned why he set bond at $10,000 or whether he considered Taylor’s lengthy criminal record when determining the number.
Prior to his September 21 arrest, Taylor was charged with a felony for aggravated assault in 2021. The case against him on those charges continued until May 19, 2023, when three doctors testified that Taylor was not mentally competent to stand trial. Judge Angelita Dalton sided with the medical experts, and the charges against Taylor were dropped as Tennessee and federal law prohibit criminal trials of those deemed mentally unfit. Taylor was released with no conditions.
The Star also asked Holzapfel if he abides by Davidson County’s 2018 system that dictates what bond should be assigned, but did not receive a response by press time.
Holzapfel is one of the judicial magistrates who conduct hearings related to the arrests and holding of criminal defendants. His duties involve issuing warrants, establishing the psychiatric fitness of defendants, and determining bonds for criminal cases.
He has worked as a magistrate for the General Sessions Court since at least 2004, according to a Nashville document from 2007, which explains Holzapfel was chosen to preside over the court for that year. Holazpfel graduated from Belmont University in 1992.
Holzapfel’s name was mentioned in the 2014 reprimand by the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct against former General Sessions Judge Casey Moreland. Holzapfel placed a 12-hour hold on an individual who was charged with domestic assault, but Moreland soon told Holzapfel the information in the affidavit justifying the defendant’s hold was incorrect, and Holzapfel consented to immediately reverse the hold.
When the defendant was released, due to Mooreland’s urging and Holzapfel’s signature, he allegedly returned to the scene of the alleged crime and committed domestic abuse against his partner for a second time. Holzapfel was not accused of wrongdoing, but Mooreland later served prison time after it was determined he had a sexual relationship with defendants, some of whom engaged in sex acts with Mooreland because he promised to reduce or drop the charges against them.
There are five “full-time” magistrates, and currently, an additional 11 who work as “fill-in” magistrates. In his position, Holzapfel reportedly earns more than $100,000 per year, while “fill-in” magistrates earn $53.54 per hour.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
“….charges against Taylor were dropped as Tennessee and federal law prohibit criminal trials of those deemed mentally unfit. Taylor was released with no conditions.”
Hey, Tennessee state legislators, are you reading this??? How about correcting this problem so we can get mentally ill criminals off of the streets for good?