NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — During a bail review hearing at the Newport Beach Harbor Justice Center on Wednesday, Judge Derek Johnson refused to lower an accused person’s $75,000 bail, siding with prosecutors who argued the person posed a danger to public safety despite claims of financial hardship.
The accused was originally arrested Jan. 21, 2024, on three misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance, but has accumulated multiple felony and misdemeanor charges since then. They remain in custody because they cannot afford bail, as they are unemployed and have no money in their savings.
After the original arrest in 2024, the accused was charged May 30, 2025, with one felony count of being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition…