A California judge has refused to lower the bail for Fraser Bohm, the 23-year-old driver accused of causing a fatal crash that killed four Pepperdine University students in Malibu. During a hearing on Friday (September 5), Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Thomas Rubinson denied the request from Bohm’s attorney, Alan Jackson, to reduce the bail from $4 million to $2 million.
Bohm faces charges of murder and vehicular manslaughter for the deaths of sorority sisters Niamh Rolston, 20; Peyton Stewart, 21; Asha Weir, 21; and Deslyn Williams, 21. The crash occurred in 2023 when Bohm allegedly drove at speeds exceeding 100 mph.
Jackson argued that Bohm’s family had sold their home and drained retirement accounts to fund his defense. He claimed that the collateral from the home sale was frozen by a bond company, hindering the family’s ability to gather evidence and expert testimony to support the argument that the crash was an accident. However, Judge Rubinson noted that Bohm’s bail had already been reduced from an initial $8 million and stated, “There are many defendants sitting in the county jail right now who would love me to reduce their bail so they can hire Alan Jackson or other private counsel. That’s not the way it works.”
Relatives of the victims attended the hearing, including Tracy Rolston, mother of Niamh Rolston, who expressed relief at the judge’s decision. “We’re happy it’s not lower. It’s been two years, and we’re just waiting for some justice to be served,” she said. The case continues as Bohm awaits trial.
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