New Bail Hearing Ordered in Hells Angels Case

A state appellate court ruled Monday that a Ventura County judge failed to give specific reasons for setting $1-million bail for a Hells Angels member charged with selling drugs to high school students.

The ruling by the 2nd District Court of Appeal in Ventura stops short of lowering bail for George Christie III, instead sending the matter back to a Superior Court judge for a rehearing.

The opinion--the third issued by the court in recent months dealing with bail--specifies that judges must explicitly state their grounds when setting bond.

“If the trial court concludes that the public may be at risk if the defendant is released,” the decision reads, “it is incumbent upon it to clearly state the facts upon which the decision is based.”

The ruling stems from a petition filed three months ago by Christie, the 25-year-old son of national Hells Angels leader George Christie Jr.

Father and son are among 16 people indicted earlier this year on conspiracy and drug sales charges for allegedly peddling prescription drugs to high school students in Ojai and Ventura. Both are being held in lieu of $1-million bail.

In his appeal, the younger Christie argues that the amount--10 times higher than the standard bail schedule--is excessive and an abuse of discretion by the trial court.

But in its opinion, the appellate court did not make that finding.

“Here we are unable to determine if there was an abuse of discretion because the trial court failed to state specific grounds for its decision,” the opinion states.

During a bail hearing, defense attorneys argued that Christie has lived in Ventura his entire life and has no criminal record. However, prosecutors argued that he is a “high-level” participant in a narcotics ring and poses a danger to the community.

In setting bail, Superior Court Judge Art Gutierrez stated that he was satisfied that minors were threatened and that Christie is “high up the ladder” in the alleged conspiracy.

The appellate court found his reasoning vague.

“Here it was incumbent upon the trial court to state how Christie’s release pending trial would present a danger to the public, what its considerations were in assessing the likelihood that he would appear at trial and to set bail that reflected the court’s conclusions,” the opinion reads.

Defense attorney Richard Loftus plans to request a bail hearing for later this week. He wants it set at $100,000, the amount specified in the bail schedule.

Although the appellate court ruling did not go as far as he would have liked, Loftus said it will provide direction to judges setting bail.

“I don’t think the appellate court thought that setting bail was its job,” Loftus said. “I think what they are doing is giving Judge Gutierrez and the other judges who are setting bail some guidance.”