Jane Laut Judge Drops Bail To $1 Million New Details Released

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Dave Laut murdered | Photo 02

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In a packed court room, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Nancy Ayers, listened to arguments from both sides of the case, for murder suspect Jane Laut. In the request from Ron Bamieh, to drop the $3Million dollar bail the state had asked for. The court bailiff told the judge that Laut has been a Ventura County resident for 52 years and has been living with her mother since September, she has no prior criminal history and no prior arrests.

After reviewing motions filed, Judge Ayers said; "I really don't find that she is a flight risk."  Dropping the bail to $1Million she told Laut, that she must surrender her son’s passport as a condition of the lower bail. 

The judge, however, agreed to issue a temporary gag order after the prosecutor accused Bamieh of making “inappropriate comments” to the media for the purpose of prejudicing potential jurors who might be called to serve in a trial. “I object to any restrictions,” Bamieh said; while  denying the accusation and told the court that he plans to file a legal motion opposing the gag order. A hearing on the matter will be scheduled after the motion is filed.

Throughout the hearing on Thursday her attorney, Ron Bamieh, continued to swap barbs with prosecutor Bill Haney. In arguing for keeping the bail at $3 million; the prosecutor pointed out to the judge, the defendant spent $134 for a passport for her son.  To which Bamieh countered, she needed her son's passport to apply for Social Security benefits, adding Jane's passport has been expired for 20 years.“She has never been a risk of flight. She looks forward to her trial,” Bamieh told the court.  

“She will admit and talk about a history of domestic violence,” said Bamieh, adding that the court has an obligation to set a “reasonable bail on this case.”

The arrest warrant that the court has labeled confidential, at the prosecutors'  request, was shared with Bemieh. Saying he wants it kept out of the media's hands, Haney said, he wants the case tried in the court room, not the media.

At the hearing, more details of the killing were revealed by Haney, details that the state has been protecting since the days after the shooting when Oxnard PD announced they believed the story of an unknown assailant, was not the whole truth;  a prosecution action that prompted Bamieh to ask why the “secrecy” by the district attorney for a shooting in which his client admitted to pulling the trigger.

Maybe the fact that Mr Bamieh and his client, until a week ago were keeping the fact that his client pulled the trigger to themselves, has a little something to do with this. Along with the the lies and the attempt by Mrs Laut to obstruct. Also revealed by the prosecutor;  Haney told the judge that Dave Laut was shot four times in the head, and that Jane Laut repeatedly lied to police about what happened. She also tried to hide evidence and her role in the slaying, he said.

Haney told the court that his office “implores” the defense to provide any witnesses’ statements supporting Bamieh’s argument that the shooting was an act of self-defense. “Our goal is to be fair and impartial,” Haney said.

Bamieh said he offered to provide his client’s statements to the prosecution in exchange for the prosecution’s forensic evidence against his client. Haney told the judge that the district attorney doesn’t have to immediately turn over evidence to defense attorneys.

Prosecutors said Bamieh has  given them only photographs of bruises on his client’s body.  Bamieh argued that those were fresh bruises and the photographs were taken soon after the shooting.

Haney said it was “an execution-style murder” based on the “position and place” of the victim’s body. Bamieh argued that it was self-defense.

Jane Laut's story as told by her attorney was that her husband was angry and drunk when he threatened to kill their son and the families two dogs. But the facts revealed by the autopsy prove that was another lie by the defendant. Dave Laut, 52, had a blood-alcohol level of .05 percent when he died, according to Haney.  A level of .08 percent is assumed as intoxication under state driving laws. 

Laut  was arrested on Saturday, 2-13, two weeks shy of the six month anniversary of the death of Dave Laut, her husband of 29 years. On Tuesday, Laut was charged with 1st degree murder - she has entered a plea of not guilty. Jane called 911 on  8-27, just before midnight, claiming to have heard shots fired after her husband went outside to investigate a possible prowler. Police arrived and found Dave Laut in the backyard of their home on Raft St, in Oxnard; he was pronounced dead at the scene. The autopsy revealed Dave's death was caused by multiple gunshot wounds to the head.

Jane continued to maintain there was a prowler in their yard up until the arrest; at which time her attorney, Ron Bamieh, played the long time abused wife fights back, after her husband threatened the life of her son, she said she knew she would be next.