DUI Texting Bishop Posts Bail and Sneaks Out the Back Door

He was inhibited by Bishop Andrew Smith, who took over of his parish's pastoral oversight, buildings and administration.

Bishop Cook and Dr. Hansen first connected at General Theological Seminary -- she was in the Class of '87 and he was in the Class of '85. They finally reconnected two years ago when both ended up in the Diocese of Easton -- she as the Canon to the Ordinary and he as the "lay pastor" at St. Clement's Episcopal Church at Massey, Maryland.

"Supporting me in my vocation is my steady companion, Mark, a passionate Anglican," then Canon Cook explained in her autobiographical statement to the Diocese of Maryland Bishop Search Committee. "After having dated in our twenties, life took us different ways, but we found each other again two years ago, and it has been a great blessing.

According to court records, Aaron Mossman, a bail bondsman at Fred W. Frank Bail Bonds, worked with Dr. Hansen to facilitate Bishop Cook's release. The rest of the $.2.5 million bond ($2,250,000) is being secured by Lexington National Insurance Corporation in the form of a surety bond.

Should Bishop Cook skip bail or fail to make any of her court dates, the first of which is Feb. 6, Dr. Hansen, who attended the bishop's bail review hearing, would be liable for the entire $2.5 million. It is expected that it might take as long as 18 months or more for a criminal trial to commence.

The Episcopal bishop has been formally charged in the hit and run traffic death of Thomas Palermo almost three weeks ago on Dec. 27, 2014. Court records indicate that four criminal charges are filed against the bishop including negligent manslaughter (criminal statue CR.2.209); criminal negligent manslaughter, (criminal statue CR.2.210.b); driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in a homicide (criminal statue CR.2.503); and negligent homicide driving while impaired (criminal statue CR.2.504).

She also faces several traffic charges including: leaving the scene of an accident, failing to remain at the scene of an accident, texting while driving which resulted in an accident with death, and DUI.

Bishop Cook's bail was unexpected.

Now that she has been released, her legal defense team announced that the bishop is returning to rehab. She checked herself into rehab following the hit and run accident. She spent 12 days at Fr. Martin's Ashley which has been described by the media as a "posh, non-denominational rehab facility in Havre de Grace, which boasts online of its treatment programs for alcoholism and drug addiction." She stayed there until she turned herself in on late Friday afternoon (Jan. 9), following the issuance of an arrest warrant by newly-installed Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby for the booking and bail setting process. The Havre de Grace residential facility costs upwards of $20,000 for 28-day treatment program.

"Bishop Cook has been released pending trial and is returning to an inpatient treatment facility," Bishop Cook's legal defense team of David Irwin and Jose Molina said in a released statement. "As a condition of her release, she is not permitted to drive."

"The car whisked way with the bishop in the passenger seat and a dog in the back seat," the WBAL reporter said as she witnessed the white car drive off.

Bishop Cook's release raises more questions than it answers, however the bishop's attorneys have not returned VOL calls and the State's Attorney's Office says it cannot make comment on a current criminal case.