Judge grants Avenatti temporary release from jail over coronavirus concern

A federal judge in California granted temporary release to disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti due to concerns of the coronavirus. 

Late Friday evening, U.S. District Judge James Selna, a George W. Bush appointee, ruled that Avenatti would quarantine for 14 days at a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility before being transferred to house arrest in his home in Venice, Calif. His bond was set at $1 million.

Selna said Avenatti would not have access to the internet or be allowed to leave his home except for medical emergencies. He also will not be able to conduct transactions of more than $500.

Avenatti, the lawyer who represented adult-film actress Stormy Daniels in litigation against President Trump, was convicted in February of allegedly attempting to extort up to $25 million from the athletic apparel giant Nike. 

There are still pending additional criminal trials in Manhattan, where Avenatti is charged with allegedly defrauding Daniels and other clients and allegedly committing tax fraud.

Before his conviction, he made regular television appearances criticizing the president, particularly as it related to his litigation with Daniels, and was even floated as a potential presidential candidate. 

On Monday, Avenatti’s lawyers said he was being held in the former jail cell of Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

Avenatti’s lawyer Scott Srebnick reportedly lobbied for his release this week. The prosecutors argued he poses an “economic danger,” but Srebnick asserted that “there was no allegation that Mr. Avenatti was a risk of flight or that he posted a physical danger to anyone or to himself.”

Avenatti’s release comes as California plans to release as many as 3,500 nonviolent inmates and New York City has released 900 nonviolent prisoners to avoid crowding in detention centers that could lead to an outbreak.