The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office and the Union City and Livermore police departments are criticizing a judge’s decision to release without bail a suspect who’s accused of assaulting two women in 1997 in a case that wasn’t solved until last year.
Last Friday, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Thomas Reardon, a veteran judge who formerly was a prosecutor, granted Gregory Paul Vien, 61, of Livermore, a reduction of his bail from $2.5 million to zero, defense
attorney Melissa Adams said on Thursday.
Adams said Reardon issued that ruling after she filed a motion to reduce Vien’s bail because his health issues make it unsafe for him to remain at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin because of the risk he might be infected by the coronavirus if he remains there.
Adams said she believes Vien has risk factors that health officials say make some people more likely to die if they contract the virus.
Adams said Reardon agreed to reduce Vien’s bail and release him but also required him to wear an ankle monitor and not to leave his home except to go to court or to meet with his attorneys.
Vien, a maintenance worker, was charged last November with three counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object and two counts of forcible oral copulation for allegedly sexually assaulting a 41-year-old woman in
Union City on May 6, 1997, and a 22-year-old woman in Livermore on Sept. 15, 1997.
DNA samples from a plastic Baskin-Robbins ice cream spoon that Vien discarded in Livermore that summer finally connected him to the two cases, authorities said.
In announcing the charges, District Attorney Nancy O’Malley alleged that Vien attacked the 41-year-old woman in Union City as she walked to BART after work and dragged her to a secluded area, where he sexually assaulted her.
O’Malley alleged that Vien attacked the 22-year-old woman while she was on a walk near Livermore High School and sexually assaulted her.
In a statement this week, O’Malley said, “We argued vehemently against his release, and we are strongly opposed to releasing people charged with serious and violent felonies such as rape and sexual assault.”
Union City police said in a statement that they were “shocked” to learn that Reardon had released Vien from jail.
The department said Reardon’s decision to reduce Vien’s bail “effectively released the suspected serial rapist back into the community.”
Union City police said they are releasing information about Vien’s status to the community to “let you know that we, like Livermore police and the District Attorney’s Office, do not support this decision and feel it
places our communities at greater risk.”
Jail isn’t supposed to be a picnic or anything. I think if potential criminals knew that committing a crime could get them Xi coronavirus, they might just rethink their plans.
BTW- all of these tears for sex offenders while Law Enforcement personnel are still supposed to work the jails? Do Liberal politicians have no shame?
Put this creep back jail. He will do nothing good out here with the general public. A disaster waiting to happen.
Once again, uneffingbelievable.
Amazing that many cannot see the HYPOCRISY of all of this. Police should stand down as a form of Protest regarding OUR beaches.
Arrest and Fine you and I and this guy walks FREE???
What an Abomination.
No Problem. Maybe some Real Men will pick up the Slack.
Here is some information on order issued by Judicial Council of California, supposedly not included in the emergency order were DUI, domestic violence and sex crimes.
Order will remain effective for another 90 days after Newsom lifts the COVID-19 state of emergency or judicial council repeals the rule.
https://www.kcra.com/article/zero-cash-bail-lower-level-offenses-coronavirus-inmates/32127767
Score!! Another win for the Democrats. Soon you’ll have all your little pets roaming the streets with our teenage daughters. Maybe they can give them jobs at the schools too. I mean it’s the only practical next step. Possibly a job in law enforcement?? Guns, handcuffs patrol cars..I can see it give it a couple weeks
Another hardened criminal.
Democrats fault?, your out your damn mind, the judge is off his rocker in this one, not the democrats
Yes democrat county, state policies made that happen. Nothing more nothing less. I guess it’s still hard for you to see the connection but it is there. Maybe it’s time for a change in the Bay Area and California your party left you long ago.
@ King
There in lies the problem. You just don’t see that continuing to vote in soft on crime politicians that make these laws and appoint our judges just might result in this type of thing.
So, what will progressive liberals do for us next week ?
CA and its liberal majority are soft on crime and criminals.
You left wing voters own this so pat yourselves on the back. Well done!
Everyone deserves to be treated equally…Love, Gavin
“All animals are equal…but some animals are MORE equal than others.” George Orwell
Is there anyone who supports this?
I can name seven…
https://www.claycord.com/2020/04/30/beyond-claycord-7-high-risk-sex-offenders-released-in-orange-county-due-to-coronavirus-concerns-district-attorney-blasts-decision/
low level offenders they said…….like this guy never heard of a pair of scissors or knife to take care of an ankle bracelet….Unbelievable!!!!!
Funny how the self righteous liberal folks that are always ALL IN with everything mandated by their king newscome, are suddenly silent when it comes to him and his round table (various county DA’s and judges) releasing VIOLENT SEX OFFENDERS both here and down south for fear of them getting sick and dying while in prison where they belong. C’mon popcorn, crazy Macy’s Hanna, John P, Ozzie, dan, and others….you know who you are, defend Gavin for SIP, but be silent on this. The typical liberal hypocrisy is amazing. Oh wait! I just realized, your silence must be because you are voting for a sex offender this November!
Kiss my mask.
Accused.
The Government has no right to hold a person who has not been convicted of a crime in a situation where a virus can kill them.
Funny how Conservatives yell about the rights of the individual suddenly get all scared when the court says – yup – the right of a person not convicted of a crime should be taken into account.
Was waiting on pins and needles to hear the libs chime in…now my day is complete!
Fair point and already accounted for with option to bail. He’s now free with zero accountability. I know you don’t believe in accountability, Democrats have a hard time with that
Rob, seriously?????
You are now going to defend the rights of a serial rapist, and show sympathy for his personal health. How about the safety of many who walk around nearby parks in that Dublin area? I bet this creep will be lurking around the park across from the Santa Rita jail waiting for his next victim.
Come around my neck of the woods he has another thing waiting for him. But I bet someone like you wants to take my 2nd amendment rights away too, huh bro????
Rob
Based on your logic, why have county jails at all? You have made the argument that Covid-19 is the new black death. You catch it, you die.
How about influenza or the dozens of other communicable diseases that kill every year. Apparently it is way way way to dangerous for individual to be held pretrial confinement.
If only we had some rule that said no person shall be deprived of life, LIBERTY, or property, without due process of law.. emphasis on due process. The “Accused” had his hearing so if he had been kept in custody, he constitutional right would have been afforded to him.
As compelling as the apparent evidence may be, all accused are entitled to a fair trial. Nevertheless, the judge’s decision still seems foolish. There had to be some way, short of releasing him from custody, to protect the accused’s life while awaiting trial. It does not seem the prosecution was given the opportunity to propose one. And while the accused should be protected from harm while awaiting trial, so too should the general public.
Have no fear, 108RS is 10-8.
Sent all those released to Newsom’s, Pelosi’s and all the other liberals-no matter what their party affiliation is-neighborhood’s and let us see how fast these releases stop.
This is morally wrong and those who are allowing this to happen are insane. The repercussions are so numerous far reaching. Time for the majority of us who are constantly silenced by the media and the bleeding heart entitlement crowd to raise our voices to get justice and law and order back in California and the nation.
Why are we letting our seniors rot and die in rest homes but worry so much about an individual who is incarcerated or being indicted on charges for THEIR crimes? It would seem the criminals are being set free, remember they committed a crime to get imprisoned. Do you honestly think they cared about their victim?
Hang this scum by his Ba**s
Well, at least they have a pic of this creep, so I know who to smoke when or if we cross paths.
Time for our community to finish the job that the legal system could not.
I say we commence with ‘The Purge’.
While going to the beach is criminalized.
I am shocked that some of you think this is political or that the Dems caused this. We are talking about a heinous crime committed by a savage. If the DNA matches up then he is guilty. Who cares if he gets the virus..or if he is killed in prison. This would save us taxpayers money in the long run.
Sex offenders and child molesters should never be released. It makes me angry and brings tears to my eyes.
This situation says it all about the Demorat politicians and their whacko liberal supporters. The system released him because being in jail is considered unsafe for him. However, no regard or consideration whatsoever is given for the honest law abiding community members who could potentially become victims of this violent sexual predator felon. It truly shows who the California politicians care about, and who they don’t care about.
I can Democrat bash with the best of them but this is one judge that did this. Democrats had nothing to do with this stupid release. Just one judge.
The liberal California courts are failing to protect law abiding citizens.
This judge should look for a different line of work. This story makes me sick.
I read today that Ghost Ship defendant Derick Almena may be released on $150K bail due to Covid-19. So here is a guy that may be negligent in a fire that killed people; certainly a terrible thing. Is he more dangerous to the public than this sex offender who is released without bail?
Sure, he’s somewhat responsible, but more so it’s a coverup of government negligence. There are Oakland city employees(Fire Marshal’s) who’s sworn duty and job it is to make sure something like that didn’t happen. They were made aware of the situations and basically ignored it. To my knowledge all of them are free and not jailed.
This is another one of those guys I’m not “all in this together” with.
This man was not concerned about catching viruses when he was sticking his body parts into random woman. Now he is worried? The Judge is not thinking clearly.
Think about that punk with last name of Rose (do not remember his first name!). It won’t happen but think of that judge in Santa Clara that was recalled. The citizens of Livermore and Union City should print his photo and distribute through out both cities.
I cannot believe that the idiot judge released this miscreant in total disregard for the victims and their families trauma they experienced at the hands of this miscreant.
4 words – “Innocent until proven guilty”
Unless your name is Trump.
KD,
DNA…it’s a double edged sword no matter how you apply it.
Wrong, KD!
He’s only innocent if he didn’t do it.