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Roy Patton of Waynesville, Hopper's court-appointed attorney, said Tuesday that he sought the reduced bond because Hopper "was indicted yesterday, and it seemed like the best time."
Patton declined to comment on his client's indictment and indicated he has not seen the evidence presented to the Grand Jury.
The state's case against Hopper appeared to be in jeopardy last month when the previous Grand Jury refused to return indictments. Assistant District Attorney Monica Leslie said then that she planned to resubmit the charges along with new evidence gathered by law enforcement personnel.
"The difference was that we had much more information to present this time," Leslie said of Monday's outcome.
One factor that seems to have strengthened the state's case against Hopper is telephone testimony given by a Louisiana woman who alleges Hopper molested her more than 30 years ago. The woman, who is now in her 40s, told law enforcement officers that she was a pre-teen during the three years Hopper, a teenager at the time, allegedly molested her. The woman, identified in court documents only as "Witness One," indicated she had never disclosed the alleged abuse prior to contacting authorities here, according to Detective Jimmy Clawson of the Jackson County Sheriff's Department.
Other evidence presented to the Grand Jury included results of a medical examination of the alleged victim, Clawson said. The exam was completed before the Grand Jury considered the case in December, but the results were not available in time, Clawson said.
A trial date is expected to be set during the Feb. 18 Superior Court session, Leslie said.
The Louisiana woman's statement was also used to establish probable cause for a search warrant, which was issued by Judge Marlene Hyatt and executed Jan. 10 at Hopper's Watson Branch Road residence in Cullowhee.
According to an inventory prepared by Clawson, items seized included a camcorder, disposable cameras, computers, videotapes, photographs, slides, books, re-writable CDs, floppy disks, Zip disks, tax receipts and letters.
Computers seized during the search are being analyzed in Raleigh, Clawson said.
The charges against Hopper are based on information supplied to the Sheriff's Department by the Jackson County Department of Social Services, Detective David Grant said last month. Hopper and his wife, Jo Anne, who reported the alleged abuse, are engaged in divorce proceedings as a result of the allegations of abuse, Clawson said.
Hopper, who taught biology and physical science at SMHS from January 1999 until his November arrest, which occurred at the high school during school hours, has been suspended indefinitely without pay, said Mack McCary, Jackson County's superintendent of schools.
By all accounts, Hopper was a well-liked and effective teacher; both SMHS Principal Kenny Nicholson and several students spoke highly of Hopper shortly after his arrest.
A native of Louisiana, Hopper moved with his family to Cullowhee in 1992. He began teaching in August 1993 at Blue Ridge School, where he was employed for five and a half years before transferring to Smoky Mountain.
News Editor Lisa Majors-Duff contributed to this report.
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Hopper