Bail for a  Vicksburg man accused of shaking his infant son to death was lowered by more than 97 percent Friday.
Warren County Judge Johnny Price reduced bail for Jamaro South, 29, who lists an address on China Street, from $1 million to $25,000 during a hearing Friday morning.
South is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his 6-month old Son, Jamaro Carter Jr.
“The position of the District Attorney’s Office was to oppose bond because of the nature of that case,” District Attorney Ricky Smith said Friday.
South is represented by Chris Green.
South was arrested Dec. 16 and charged with first-degree murder. His son died the previous day at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
The toddler was shaken to death, police have said.
Municipal Judge Toni Terrett initially set the $1 million bail in the first-degree murder case.
Degrees of murder entered Mississippi law in 2013, and first-degree murder is punishable by life in prison.
Previously, the law did not have murder separated by degrees but instead attached conditions such as “by depraved heart.”
State law defines first-degree murder as taking the life of another human being by “deliberate design” or unintentionally killing someone during the commission of certain felony crimes, such as child abuse.
During the initial hearing in December, Terrett said South was accused of killing his son while engaged in felony child abuse.
South was being held Friday afternoon in the Warren County Jail.