A Spotsylvania County man, who has been in jail for well over a year as the result of a fatal crash in 2019 that killed two people, was again denied bond Thursday in Spotsylvania Circuit Court.

Michael Edward Moriarty, 25, is charged with two counts of aggravated involuntary manslaughter and driving intoxicated while transporting a child.

The aggravated charge means Moriarty is accused of having been under the influence of alcohol, drugs or both at the time of the crash. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, twice the maximum of regular involuntary manslaughter.

Moriarty had been scheduled for a jury trial later this month, but prosecutor Stephanie Fitzgerald and defense attorney Jim Ilijevich agreed Thursday to let a judge decide the case.

His trial is now scheduled for Feb. 26 without a jury.

According to court records, Moriarty was driving east on Brock Road in the area of Orange Plank Road on June 22, 2019, when he ran off the road and struck a tree. Back-seat passenger Coaty James Thomson, 28, of Roanoke, and a 14-year-old front-seat passenger were pronounced dead at the scene.

Moriarty, who was also seriously injured, was indicted and arrested in August of that year. He was released on bond, but was jailed in November 2019 after a judge found that he’d violated some pretrial conditions. Subsequent efforts to get a new bond granted have been unsuccessful, and his case has been delayed like many others because of the pandemic.

Ilijevich argued Thursday that his client had been held without bond long enough. He cited Moriarty’s lack of a prior criminal history and said delays in the case were not his fault. Ilijevich also expressed concern for Moriarty’s safety in the jail, saying he had recently been punched.

Fitzgerald again opposed releasing Moriarty, and Judge William Glover denied the bond request.