Lewis free on $1 million bond after two weeks in jail

Tuesday, February 15th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

ATLANTA (AP) -- Surrounded by deputies, a smiling Ray Lewis left jail on $1 million bond Tuesday, slipped into a car and rode away with his lawyers, mother and fiancee. "Thank God to be out!" said the Baltimore Ravens' linebacker, who was wearing a brown football jersey with the word "Supreme" on the back.

Lewis is free for the first time since Jan. 31, when he was charged with murdering two men after a Super Bowl party earlier that day. His lawyer, Ed Garland, said Lewis felt sympathy for the families of the two men who were killed and looked forward to clearing his name.

Lewis' mother sat in the back seat, a copy of "The Inspirational Study Bible" on her lap. Lewis' fiancee sat with two young boys on her lap beside his mother.

Lewis will spend time with his family in Atlanta and then return home to Baltimore Wednesday, Garland said. The release on bond was "step one" for Lewis, Garland said. "The next step is to get him acquitted," he said. "I never expect him to set foot in a jail again, unless it's to do charitable work."

About 90 minutes before Lewis left the jail, another defendant, Reginald Oakley, arrived with his lawyer to surrender. A third suspect, Joseph Sweeting, surrendered Monday.

Lewis, 24, and his two companions are charged with murder in the stabbing deaths of two men during a brawl outside an Atlanta nightclub. Lewis, Sweeting, 34, of Miami, and Oakley, 31, of Baltimore, were indicted Friday in the deaths of Richard Lollar, 24, and Jacinth Baker, 21, who were stabbed during the 4 a.m. fight outside an Atlanta nightclub.

Lewis' lawyers say he tried to stop the fight and that he was at least 60 feet away when Lollar and Baker, both of nearby Decatur, were stabbed. Police say Lewis drove away in a limousine and later lied when they tried to determine who was in his entourage.

After hearing from Lewis' family, Baltimore safety Ron Woodson, Tampa Bay defensive end Warren Sapp, Ravens owner Art Modell and other witnesses, Superior Court Judge Doris Downs ruled Monday that Lewis posed no significant risk to flee or to intimidate witnesses in the case. Lewis posted $200,000 of his bond in cash. Nine bond surety companies in the Atlanta area provided the remaining $800,000, plus $80,000 in surcharges.

The bond requires Lewis to stay in Maryland unless he is traveling to Georgia for court appearances or to meet with his lawyers. It doesn't permit him to visit Florida, where his fiancee and two of his children live.

Downs also said Lewis may not use alcohol or drugs while he is out on bond and that he must be home every night by 9 p.m. Fulton County Sheriff Sgt. Clarence Huber said yesterday he had never seen such restrictions applied to a defendant out on bond. "I have not seen a restriction that is required to be enforced out of state," Huber said, adding that law enforcement agencies in Maryland could be called in to monitor Lewis.

Lawyers in the case declined to comment on the bond, but one investigator said Lewis has sufficient money to flee if he wanted to do so. "He got a $7 million signing bonus. He's got the resources to leave," said Ken Allen, an Atlanta homicide detective.

Ravens officials said they were pleased with Lewis' release. "It was encouraging to see a lot of people speak up on Ray's behalf," team spokesman Kevin Byrne said. "We're pleased that thej udge saw fit to allow him to leave jail and to begin his defense. From the start, we've been hopeful of Ray's innocence."