REXBURG, Idaho — UPDATE (4:57 p.m.):
Magistrate Judge Michelle Mallard denied a bail reduction for Lori Vallow Daybell following a 2.5-hour hearing Friday.
During the hearing, Daybell’s attorney, Mark Means, argued bail should be reduced because he was unable to effectively communicate with his client due to restrictions mandated by the Idaho Supreme Court due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He cited several examples where a conversation between Means and Daybell was accidentally recorded, which he asserted violated attorney-client privilege.
Ultimately, Mallard upheld the earlier ruling of Magistrate Judge Faren Eddins from March 6.
EastIdahoNews.com will have a full report on the hearing later this afternoon.
A preliminary hearing for Daybell is set for July 9 and 10.
UPDATE:
Judge Michelle Mallard has denied a motion for a bond reduction.
Lori Vallow Daybell and her attorneys were asking for a reduction on her $1 million bond.
Daybell's attorney argued for the bond reduction on the basis he had not been able to properly communicate with her at the jail because of phone recordings and confidentiality issues. The State of Idaho responded by arguing they did not record any phone calls without Daybell's attorney's knowledge.
Watch the full hearing here.
Stay tuned for more details.
Original story:
This article was written by Nate Eaton with East Idaho News.
After being postponed twice, a bond hearing for Lori Vallow Daybell will proceed Friday afternoon in Madison County.
The rescheduling comes after the Idaho Supreme Court issued an Emergency Reduction Order due to coronavirus. Courthouses have been operating at reduced levels and limited hearings have been held since March.
Daybell will appear in person but access to the 2 p.m. hearing will be extremely limited. Members of the public will not be permitted inside the Madison County Courthouse due to COVID-19. Magistrate Judge Michelle Mallard has authorized EastIdahoNews.com to live stream the proceedings for the public and media outlets across the country.
Magistrate Judge Michelle Mallard is presiding over the hearing.
While the bond hearing will proceed, Mark Means, Daybell’s attorney, has asked for her preliminary hearing to be continued. It was originally scheduled for May 7 and 8. Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Rob Wood has agreed to the continuance.
A preliminary hearing for Daybell is set for July 9 and 10.
