A federal judge in Santa Ana has denied Stormy Daniels‘ ex-attorney (and convicted felon) Michael Avenatti’s request to be released on bond, after Avenatti argued he is especially vulnerable to the coronavirus while in custody in New York.
“From Mr. Avenatti’s perspective, his life — not only his liberty — is on the line,” Avenatti’s attorney Dean Steward had argued, “creating a powerful incentive to abide by any release conditions the Court may impose.”
LMFAO This is a guy who was recently taken into custody for violating the terms of his bond!
U.S. District Judge James V. Selna denied Avenatti’s was not impressed.
“The Court is mindful of the Covid 19 pandemic,” Selna wrote. “The Court accepts Avenatti’s showing that the had pneumonia about six months ago. However, there is no showing that his cell mate was infected by the virus, and there have been no reported cases of Covid 19 at the New York MCC.2 As the Government points out, much of Avenatti’s criticism about the facility relate to a different facility in Brooklyn. There is no basis to release Avenatti on medical grounds.”
“We are deeply disappointed,” Steward said Saturday.
Avenatti was convicted in New York in February of attempting to extort up to $25 million from Nike. He has been in custody since January, when prosecutors in Santa Ana alleged he was engaging in a scheme to keep a step ahead of his various creditors while out on bail.
Steward said his client contracted pneumonia around Christmas while he was out of custody, but he has since recovered. Avenatti’s New York cellmate, however, fell ill and appeared to have symptoms similar to COVID-19, according to Steward, who said the man has not been tested as far as his client knows.
Avenatti’s frequent target of accusations and abuse, President Donald Trump, weighed in on Twitter:
