Disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti was released from prison Friday to protect him from the coronavirus.
“We’re really gratified that the judge took the action that he did. He recognized the seriousness of the situation. Unfortunately, there are a lot of courts across the country that have not. We’re fortunate,” his attorney Dean Steward told CNN. (RELATED: Stormy Daniels Reacts To Michael Avenatti’s Indictment)
Avenatti came to fame in 2018, when he represented porn actress Stormy Daniels, who alleged that she had an affair with President Donald Trump in 2006. Avenatti was later arrested for attempting to extort Nike executives, and was found guilty on all charges earlier this year.
JUST IN: Michael Avenatti has been released from jail due to coronavirus fears https://t.co/JbViL3efm6 pic.twitter.com/gISrMRpgjC
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 24, 2020
Avenatti has been in incarcerated in Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan since then, living in conditions that one of his lawyers described last month as “infested with rats.” (RELATED: Could The Coronavirus Pandemic Lead To Violent Prisoners Being Released Across America?)
“Mr. Avenatti’s cell was infested with rats. The jail reeks of urine. As of yesterday, Mr. Avenatti had not shaved in weeks,” attorney Scott Srebnick wrote last month. “Meanwhile, across the country, public officials are declaring states of emergency as a result of the spread of the coronavirus.”
A California judge granted Avenatti’s temporary release earlier this month, setting bail at $1 million. As part of the conditions for his release, Avenatti will be forced to wear an ankle monitor, and will have to report back to prison in 90 days.