The lawyers representing the defendants of the case surrounding last December’s Ghost Ship fire in Oakland, California have requested that the courts release their clients from custody. To that end, they’ve argued that neither Derick Almena nor Max Harris pose flight risks or any other threats.
Last month, 36 counts of voluntary manslaughter were filed against Almena and Harris. Their bail was set at $1.08 million, which their lawyers pointed out was well outside their means.
In addition, Curtis Briggs, who is Harris’ attorney, argued that his client has been martyred for a much larger public safety issue. “All the evidence shows Max Harris did exactly what a tenant should do in that situation,” he said. “He tried his best at all times. He tried to save lives. He did the right thing.”
In March, Mercury News reported that emails between Almena and his landlord, Kai Ng, revealed that the former had made efforts to bring the faulty lines of the building to the latter’s attention. However, the development won’t likely negate the allegations that Almena and Harris organized a series of illegal events with negligence that cost 36 lives.
Mary Alexander, the attorney representing the victims’ families, opposed the request on account that the families of the victims had felt that Almena and Harris were finally being held accountable following their detainment. The judge has not made a decision one way or the other as of this writing.
Source: EDMTunes
