Attorney For Ex-Miramonte Teacher Delays Motion To Reduce Bail
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — An attorney for a former South Los Angeles-area elementary school teacher accused of sexually abusing his students delayed plans on Thursday to ask a judge to reduce the $23 million bail amount for his client.
KNX 1070's Margaret Carrero reports criminal defense attorney Manny Medrano wants more time to review the allegations against Mark Berndt before filing the motion.
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Medrano is the newly-appointed attorney for Berndt, who allegedly took photos of blindfolded and gagged students at Miramonte Elementary with a roach on their faces and spoonfuls of semen held to their mouths.
Early on Thursday, Medrano told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO he would ask the judge to reduce his client's bail to a level comparable to other high-profile cases, such as the trials of Michael Jackson and Phil Spector.
"The bail amount is so enormous that it borders on unconstitutional," Medrano said.
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But Medrano decided to postpone the request when he was given copies of the police report, lab results, and other evidence against Berndt.
"I need to get a handle on the facts of the case," he said. "After I do that, and it's only going to take a short chunk of time, then we are coming back to court to file an aggressive motion to reduce bail."
Berndt is accused of abusing as many as two dozen students during his career at Miramonte Elementary.
