Biker’s Bid to Get Bail Cut Is Denied

A judge Friday denied a bail-reduction hearing for Hells Angels leader George Christie Jr., who said he wanted to help care for his terminally ill mother.

Christie has been in jail since his March arrest stemming from allegations that he ran a large ring that pushed drugs to high school students in Ojai and Ventura.

Christie, 54, was hit with $1-million bail. That is 10 times the amount required by Ventura County’s mandatory bail schedule, Anthony Brooklier, Christie’s Century City attorney, said after the hearing.

Prosecutors have argued the high bail is necessary because of the serious charges and because of Christie’s high-profile reputation as the leader of the Hells Angels.

Brooklier was hoping to persuade Judge Barry Klopfer to reduce Christie’s bail to $250,000, an amount Christie could afford, Brooklier said. He also offered to have Christie be confined to house arrest.

“If he’s ordered home with an ankle bracelet,” Brooklier said, “then he could care for his mother in her hour of need. . . . The motive to stay with his mother and care for her is his guarantee not to flee.”

Is a Relative’s Illness a Compelling Reason?

Christie learned last week that his 83-year-old mother, Georgia, has terminal cancer, Brooklier said.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Kevin Suh argued that a relative’s illness is not a compelling enough reason to be released from jail, especially in a case as serious as Christie’s.

“Really what this comes down to is he doesn’t want to be in jail,” Suh said. “. . . There are a lot of people in custody who think they have a good reason to get out--their business is failing, relatives are sick. But those aren’t factors to consider when setting bail.”

Klopfer sided with prosecutors, adding that the failing health of a relative is not a strong enough reason to warrant a bail review.

In fact, he said, Christie’s close relationship with his mother could lead to a different scenario than the one envisioned by Brooklier.

“As a loving mother, she may say, ‘I know you love me. You don’t have to take care of me. There are others to do that. Take thee to a place of safety,’ ” Klopfer said.

Afterward, Brooklier stopped short of saying he will appeal the decision, but said he will spend the next few days considering what options may be available to his client.

In his arguments, Brooklier referred to the case of Andrew Luster, the great-grandson of cosmetics king Max Factor, who is awaiting trial on charges that he drugged and raped three women. Prosecutors pushed for $10-million bail, but an appeals court called that amount unreasonable and slashed it to $1 million. Luster is now under house arrest at his beach home in Mussel Shoals.