Double Visions Shooter Forbidden From Entering Horsham “Under Any Circumstances”

Filed under: News by Contributor @ November 11, 2013

Magisterial District Judge Harry Nesbitt set a very unusual bail restriction for the man accused of shooting two managers at the Horsham strip club Double Visions: He “cannot be in Horsham under any circumstances”.

The allegation in the case is that on October 19, 55-year-old Joseph Thiers was buzzed in a door at Double Visions usually reserved for dancers and shot managers Phil and Jason Catagnus as revenge for being thrown out of the club earlier that week. Thiers then led police on a high-speed chase for over four miles on Easton Road, which ended in Bucks County when he crashed into a tree. Sometime during the chase, Thiers fired one shot at the pursuing officers. He was charged with four counts of attempted homicide, 14 counts of aggravated assault, one count of fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, and several other misdemeanors. While the events took place in both Montgomery County, where Double Visions is, and Bucks County, where the chase ended, Bucks County authorities have given the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office permission to prosecute the whole case.

At his videoconference bail hearing Judge Nesbitt imposed $2.5 million bail, with one condition being that he cannot have any contact with the Catagnuses, and an additional condition being that he “cannot be in Horsham under any circumstances”. While the latter restriction is unusual, it makes sense in that it will prevent him from going back to Double Visions and from coming in contact with at least some of the police officers that were involved. We have not researched the constitutionality of this unusual bail restriction, but it is unlikely that it will ever have to be enforced anyway, as Thiers would have to post the $2.5 million bail in cash before the prohibition on entering Horsham becomes relevant.

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