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CNN Live Today

Robert Blake Seeking Bail

Aired June 27, 2002 - 12:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In California, Robert Blake returns to court today for a scheduled hearing, which will include the issue of bail. The actor is accused of killing his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. And her family is expected to make a statement today as well.

For more, we go to CNN's Charles Feldman in Los Angeles -- hi there, Charles.

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Fredricka.

If I were to toss this coin, it's got about a 50 percent chance of coming up heads and about a 50 percent chance of coming up tails. And Robert Blake's attorney told me yesterday that that is about the odds, 50/50, that his client will walk out of jail today after a court hearing this afternoon here in Van Nuys.

Now, Blake, of course, has been in jail since April, charged with shooting his wife to death, Bonny Lee Bakley, this after he allegedly tried to enlist some other people to do the job for him. And when they didn't, prosecutors say Blake did the job himself.

Now, while Blake has been in jail because of a technicality in California law that prohibited him from being granted bail, he was able, by coughing up $1 million of his own money, to bail out his co- defendant in this case, Earle Caldwell. He put up $1 million for that. Earle Caldwell has been out of jail since April. And now Robert Blake's attorney wants to see if he could do the same for his client.

If Blake does get out of jail, it would be because the judge would agree with the defense that the California statute is too vague, even unconstitutional, and, therefore, bail is something that Blake would be eligible for. Unlike Caldwell, though, Blake would get out relatively cheap. He wouldn't have to put enough another $1 million. Actually, he would only have to put up $100,000 for a bail bondsman. But his lawyer says the bail bondsman is willing to do it with no collateral because he thinks Blake is a great guy, at least that's according to Blake's attorney.

So, what is going to happen this afternoon in a few hours is, there will be that hearing before the judge. There's going to be a lot of argumentation between the prosecution and the defense, with a real effort on the part of the defense to spring Blake from jail. A preliminary hearing date, Fredricka, is going to be set, too, probably not until November. And that means that the actual trial could be as long as one year away -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, Charles Feldman.

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