One of the two men arrested for plotting to bomb the office of the California Democratic Party was denied pre-trial release at the last minute after his wife hesitated to have commit to ensure he adheres to the terms of bail, the Sacramento Bee reports.
After a 70-minute Zoom hearing and despite objections from the prosecutor and the CDP lawyer, U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse in San Francisco had agreed to let Jarrod Copeland be confined to home detention, conditional on a number of terms including using an electronic monitor and barred from using all but one electronic device. The detention would take place at the Sacramento apartment he shared with his wife, Sheila, who would serve her husband’s legal custodian and swear that the terms of the release were honored.
Tse reviewed the terms of the release and reminded Sheila that she would be jailed if she failed to report any violations. Sheila appeared hesitant and responded, “Yeah, that’s a big responsibility,” a sentiment which Tse echoed.
As Sheila waffled, the judge suggested that she and the Copeland’s lawyer take some time privately to discuss the release terms. Once they came back online, Copeland’s attorney, John Ambrosio, broke the bad news for his client.
“She’s a little bit nervous at this point,” Ambrosio told the judge while Jarrod Copeland watched by video from the Santa Rita Jail. “She is wanting to represent to the court that she’s not comfortable with the responsibility.”
She told the judge that she preferred another custodian be found, meaning her husband will spend more time in jail–and that he will likely not live in their apartment if he’s granted release.