Stephen Glasser appeared Thursday at a detention hearing
NEWTON -- A 21-year-old Wantage resident charged with attempted murder after allegedly breaking into an acquaintance's home and repeatedly stabbing him is staying behind bars.
The attorney for Stephen Glasser sought his release from the county jail, arguing that Glasser has no prior record and claims he acted in self-defense early Sunday morning after the alleged victim grabbed him by the throat.
Stephen Glasser in court Thursday However, at a detention hearing Thursday, Superior Court Judge N. Peter Conforti sided with the prosecution's request to keep Glasser in jail until trial, though neither side argued that he poses a flight risk.
"I think he presents a danger to the community. I'm firmly convinced of that," Conforti said.
About 10 members of Glasser's family, including his parents, were sitting behind him in the front row.
The 20-year-old man who was stabbed remains at Morristown Medical Center, Assistant Prosecutor Jerome Neidhardt told the judge. His condition was previously described as stable and his name is being withheld by authorities.
Additional descriptions of the pre-dawn confrontation at the Arrowhead Drive residence in Wantage, including the events leading up to it, were outlined during the 40-minute hearing.
The 20-year-old, described previously as celebrating his birthday, had been hanging out with Glasser at "social establishments" until as late as 4 a.m., according to Glasser's attorney, Joseph Corazza.
Corazza said Glasser dropped the man off at the residence he shares with his parents and returned not long after, possibly gaining entry via an unlocked door.
Sussex County First Assistant Prosecutor Greg Mueller, who was not in court, previously told NJ Advance Media that the two were at odds over $400. Neither Neihardt nor Corazza provided further details Thursday, wit Neihardt stating prosecutors did not know the precise nature of the dispute.
Both sides agreed there was a confrontation in the hallway.
Corazza said Glasser stabbed the man -- neither side said how many times -- with a three-inch, one-blade, pocket folding knife after he grabbed him by the throat and wouldn't let go.
The man's screams awakened his parents, who interrupted the attack.
In arguing that Glasser would not flee if released from jail, Corazza said he put up his hands and sat on a couch until state police arrived, 11 minutes later, as the parents tended to their injured son.
Neihardt countered that the allegations were sufficiently serious to justify holding Glasser in jail, though the charge of attempted murder, unlike murder, does not involve a presumption of detention.
Conforti agreed, citing the scope of the alleged crime.
"This wasn't a circumstance in which there were superficial wounds," Conforti said.
"It's nighttime. People are sleeping in their residence, and to have someone enter under these circumstances, with a weapon, that they use against a person presents, in my judgment, a horrible set of circumstances. It's a nightmare of reality," the judge said.
Prosecutors added the attempted murder charge, which calls for up to 20 years in prison if convicted, on Wednesday afternoon.
Glasser is also charged with second-degree aggravated assault, second-degree burglary, third-degree aggravated assault and possession of marijuana.
Corazza, his attorney, is also the lawyer for Francis S. Thomas, a former Kinnelon resident acquitted of attempted murder in April by a Morris County jury.
Thomas had been accused of stabbing his mother's ex-boyfriend 17 times in 2014 and testified that he was acting in self-defense. A second trial is pending on lesser charges on which the jury failed to reach a verdict.
Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook