Man who beat Lynn murder rap arrested again

SALEM – A Superior Court judge denied a reduction in bail for a Lynn man who beat a murder charge last December but is now a drug suspect who tried to flee from a courthouse earlier this month during a hearing.Joseph R. Graciale III, 30, of Everett, also formerly of 34 Webster St., Lynn, remains held on $20,000 cash bail at the Middleton Jail.Graciale appealed to Salem Superior Court to have the $20,000 bail reduced that was set in Salem District Court last week, but Judge John T. Lu denied the request following a hearing Tuesday afternoon.In arguing that the bail remain as is, Assistant District Attorney Christina P. Ronan pointed out to Lu that the drug charges arise out of his arrest when police discovered heroin and pills at a Motel 6 in Danvers where he apparently was staying with his girlfriend in April.Ronan told Lu that Graciale has previous drug convictions and that in 2008 he was charged with murder in the shooting death of Raphael Ardino, a Lynn man who was shot in the head over a suspected marijuana deal.However, that charge was ultimately dropped by the commonwealth on the eve of trial after the government?s key eyewitness invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refused to testify.Ronan said on July 12 Graciale had tried to flee from Salem District Court during a hearing on the drug case when he was surrendered to the court because the female who posted the $2,500 bail wanted her money back.After being captured by guards near the front door, he was brought back into court hours later where Salem District Court Judge Michael Lauranzano increased his bail to $20,000.Defense lawyer Amy Sixt urged the judge to release Graciale on a bracelet monitoring program and pretrial probation while citing local roots, but Lu declined.Graciale is due back in Salem District Court on Aug. 9. He is not expected to make the bail.