Judge sets $3M bond for man accused of shooting HCSO deputy after his co-defendant is released

Harris County District Court Judge Hilary Unger set bond at $3 million for Ronald Palmer Jr., charged with capital murder in the killing of Harris County Deputy Fernando Esqueda, after his co-defendant’s release on a combined $1 million bond sparked outrage. Palmer, 44, did not appear in person for his hearing Thursday, because his defense attorney, Cheryl Irvin, said it requires a lot of resources to bring him from jail to court as he’s considered a high risk. However, there was a large show of support from law enforcement agencies at the hearing after many unions took to social media this week to express concern over the release of his co-defendant, 26-year-old Dremone Francis.