ROSEBURG, OREGON - At a hearing this morning before William
Lasswell, judge of the Douglas County Circuit Court, bail for Ruth Christine was
cut from $500,000 to $50,000. The judge declined to reduce Brian Christine's
bail of over $500,000.
Ruth and her husband Brian have both been held
under bail amounts set well beyond their ability to raise for over six months,
while they awaited trial on a myriad of Class 1 felony charges for taking their
own children back from Oregon's child services agency last year and fleeing the
state. Brian allegedly used a revolver in forcing state employees to hand over
his three daughters.
In a related hearing two days ago, the court cited
a heavy trial schedule in pushing the Christines' criminal trial from March 19
over to April 30 of this year.
Edgar J. Steele, an attorney with offices
in Sandpoint, Idaho and San Francisco, California, recently took over the
handling of the Christines' case from several public defenders, and vowed a
vigorous defense at trial. "They were conned into waiving their right to a
speedy trial with the promise of a reasonable plea agreement offer," said
Steele, "then, just last week, that offer turned out to be an invitation for
both Brian and Ruth to spend the next 7-1/2 years of their lives in prison - for
rescuing their own children from a rogue Oregon state agency."
Steele
went on to say that, seeing that they had no choice but to take their case to a
jury, "Brian and Ruth decided to bring me back into the case for the actual
trial."
Steele previously had been instrumental in keeping the couple's
newest baby, Abbey Rose Christine, from being adopted out by Oregon along with
their three oldest daughters, by appearing in a Montana court and persuading the
judge to give the baby over to Brian's mother in a guardianship. Teri Christine
lives in Indiana and has also been named guardian by an Indiana court of the
couple's fifth daughter, Olivia.
"Oregon's SCF (the child services
agency) was apoplectic after that decision in Montana," said Steele, "and vowed
a scorched earth campaign against Brian and Ruth regarding their three oldest
daughters, who had been returned to SCF when they were arrested in Montana while
fleeing." That, together with the promise of a reasonable plea deal and the
assurance that the three girls would be given to Ruth's parents for adoption,
was what led the Christines to sign over their parental rights two weeks ago.
Immediately upon Steele's reentry into the case, Oregon cut off all
funding for public defenders, investigators and expert witnesses, without giving
a reason. Steele is serving pro bono, meaning without pay.
When the
court decided to postpone the trial, Steele demanded a bail reduction for both
his clients, so that they might have an opportunity to leave custody and help
prepare their own case for trial.
While Ruth Christine was endeavoring
to find the $5,000 necessary to post the Douglas County bail bond, it came to
light that Josephine County, which initiated criminal charges against both
Christines, also now has a bail requirement, thereby effectively doubling the
amount set today by Judge Lasswell.
Donations to a fund for the bail
bond may be directed care of the Christines' attorney, Edgar Steele, who also
encourages donations to defray actual costs of the upcoming trial.