NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — During a bail review hearing at the Newport Beach Harbor Justice Center on Wednesday, Judge Derek Johnson refused to lower an accused person’s $75,000 bail, siding with prosecutors who argued the person posed a danger to public safety despite claims of financial hardship.
The accused was originally arrested Jan. 21, 2024, on three misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance, but has accumulated multiple felony and misdemeanor charges since then. They remain in custody because they cannot afford bail, as they are unemployed and have no money in their savings.
After the original arrest in 2024, the accused was charged May 30, 2025, with one felony count of being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition.
Then, on Oct. 16, 2025, the accused pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge. On Jan. 5, the accused was charged with one misdemeanor battery, a misdemeanor battery on a peace officer/emergency personnel worker, a violation of a protective/stay-away order and two misdemeanors for resisting a peace officer.
On Feb. 25, the accused was charged with disobeying a domestic relations order. Finally, on April 5, the accused was charged with one felony count of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and an enhancement for a secondary offense committed while released from custody, a misdemeanor violation of a protective/stay-away order and a misdemeanor for vandalism causing less than $400 in damages.
With those charges, the accused’s bail amount was set at $75,000. Deputy Public Defender Erin Christoff asked Judge Johnson to lower the bail, given that the accused is unemployed and has no money in their savings. Additionally, the accused would have a place to stay if released after posting bail.
Deputy District Attorney Ben Atienza objected to the request, stating the accused was a “danger to public safety.” While released from custody, the accused had picked up a felony domestic violence charge, two misdemeanor domestic violence charges, a felony possession of ammunition and other charges.
Atienza argued that if the accused were released, they could go to the victim’s home and that nothing was stopping the accused from strangling the victim.
Judge Johnson sided with the prosecution and agreed that the accused was a danger to public safety, even if the public meant one person.
Despite Christoff’s request to lower bail because of the accused’s employment status, Judge Johnson kept bail at $75,000 and set the next preliminary hearing for April 17.
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
