By Sophia Barberini
ALAMEDA, CA – Judge Jacob Blea in Alameda County Superior Court refused to release two men on their own recognizance Tuesday—despite their lawyers citing limited criminal history—claiming he was “concerned for community safety” because of the violence of the crimes.
Note: The Vanguard is not using the real name of the defendant to protect the identity of the victim(s).
M*** was arrested after he allegedly committed “corporal injury” to his stepchildren on Oct. 22. This alleged offense comes after a conviction for “corporal injury to a relationship partner” out of Santa Clara County in 1996.
Deputy Public Defender Lindsay Horstman, acknowledging the 1996 conviction, advocated for M*** to be released on his own recognizance, noting M*** has no prior criminal offenses in Alameda County.
Further, PD Horstman explained, M*** has been in his stepchildren’s lives “for the past 10 years, with no other prior allegations. “The allegations from the children seem confusing to me, especially with the history of no other violence to them in the past 10 years.”
Because of M***’s longstanding positive relationship with his stepchildren, Horstman asked that M*** be released on his own recognizance with the condition of a stay away order.
The DDA, however, asked that bail be set at $125,000 for M***, noting M*** had allegedly choked one of his stepsons until he “lost consciousness” and hit his other stepson with his belt “at least five times.”
Additionally, the DDA explained M***’s criminal history outside of Alameda County, stating that the defendant had been subject to multiple protective orders and convictions for domestic violence and battery in other counties.
Based on the defendant’s violent past and the harm alleged in his current charges, Judge Blea concurred with the DDA, setting bail at $125,000 and granting criminal protective orders for the stepchildren.
Judge Blea carried the same sentiments in the case of defendant F***.
Deputy Public Defender Aundrea Brown asked that F*** be released on his own recognizance, highlighting he is “28 years old with, at least in Alameda County, no prior convictions.”
Further, PD Brown stated, “I don’t know what has caused him to be here… but given his lack of history and his lack of relationship with the complaining witnesses, I would ask for a stay away and that he be released on his own recognizance.”
The DDA, contrarily, advocated that a $30,000 bail be set for F***, explaining he allegedly “went up to a complete stranger with a pipe at a laundromat and started swinging the pipe at the victim, screaming ‘I am going to kill you.’”
Moreover, the DDA claimed that it took three police officers to subdue F***once they arrived on the scene, as he was still trying to attack the victim.
Judge Blea, declaring that the allegations against F*** were “very alarming” and stating that he is “not sure of what is happening with the defendant,” determined that he was “concerned for community safety” and set bail at $30,000, issuing a stay away order from the laundromat where the alleged offense took place.
