A former candidate for the town commission in Surfside is seeking her release from jail while she awaits a possible murder trial.
The attorney for Shannon Gallagher filed a motion for pretrial release Tuesday, days after she was booked into the Broward County jail on a first-degree murder with a firearm charge.
According to the motion, the 52-year-old Gallagher was arrested on December 9 in Chicago and waived extradition to Broward. She was booked into the Broward jail on Friday and remains held without bond.
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Defense attorneys wrote in the motion that Gallagher is entitled to pretrial relese because of her "long standing community contacts." The motion notes that she's a California licensed attorney in good standing, was not a fugitive at the time of her arrest, has no prior criminal history and is not a flight risk.
Reached by phone Tuesday, Gallagher's attorney said he had no comment.
Few details are known of the murder Gallagher is charged with, since the indictment has been sealed.
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The indictment was issued December 8, 2022. The Broward Clerk of Court showed a warrant the next day for Gallagher's arrest on a murder charge for an incident on March 21, 2022 from Fort Lauderdale Police.
Gallagher was one of six candidates last year for the Surfside Town Commission, finishing in sixth place in the election held just six days before the alleged murder took place.
According to court records, Gallagher's uncle died at the age of 74, the same day the alleged murder happened.
The court documents said just three days before her uncle died, he signed a new last will and testament, changing his intentions and leaving everything to Gallagher.
The will states that under no circumstances should anything go to his daughter, two sons, grandson, and ex-wife.
The Broward County Medical Examiner said they cannot release the uncle's cause of death due to an active investigation.
