Syracuse, N.Y. – Bail has been set at $150,000 for the North Syracuse Elementary Teacher that is accused of murdering his Brother-In-Law in Cicero on Independence Day.
James Ball is facing second degree murder charges after Sheriff's investigators say Ball got into a drunken dispute with his wife’s brother Christopher Ross at his Chinkapin Circle Home. That fight got physical and Ball eventually retreated into his home and retrieved his .22 rifle. Prosecutors say Ball shot Ross four times at close range in the driveway.
Ball’s attorneys say their client has been a fourth-grade teacher for 14 years, with no prior convictions, and that he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy. They also added that Ball's big black eye seen in his mugshot is still present and is causing him significant difficulties in the Justice Center.