A San Diego Superior Court judge lowered bail from $3 million to $2 million this afternoon for a man accused of hiring a hitman to kill his wife. The accused man, Timothy Peter Lambesis, 32, is in the midst of a contentious divorce with his wife of eight years, Meggan.
A new defense attorney interrupted Judge David Berry to say that the defendant would not be able to make that bail amount, either. Defense attorney Thomas Warwick replaced Anthony Salerno as defense counsel today, May 17, 2013.
Defense attorney Thomas Warwick argued that bail should be lowered to $250,000, and told the judge that:
Tim Lambesis was born in San Diego County and has remained here his entire life, except when he is traveling with his heavy metal rock band, which is named As I Lay Dying; and
Tim Lambesis received an award from his classmates at a Christian high school, he was chosen “the person most like Jesus…in the sense of his good works and good actions…”
The defense attorney said that Lambesis experienced “a change in his life” when he began lifting weights, and then became a paid spokesman for certain “supplements” which “changed his mental status.” And then Tim Lambesis “got into steroids” and “he was not the same person,” but instead was “irritable,” the defense attorney said.
Tim Lambesis was no longer “the good Christian who was Jesus-like in high school,” attorney Thomas Warwick told the judge, “he even spoke about losing God and losing his belief.”
Prosecutor Claudia Grasso argued to keep bail at $3 million, the amount set at the defendant’s first court appearance on May 9, 2013. The deputy DA described him as “motivated” to kill his wife, that “in fact, when the hitman suggested a time, Mister Lambesis asked if he could meet sooner.”
The prosecutor said that Lambesis met with a man he thought was a hitman – but was actually an undercover agent with the San Diego County Sheriff.
“It moved to more than talk,” prosecutor Grasso told the judge. “When told that the hit was going to be twenty thousand dollars, he didn’t flinch. In fact, he supplied a thousand dollars in cash for expenses. And when told that it was twenty thousand, he said, I have it now. He was very willing to pay that.”
Prosecutor Claudia Grasso remarked on “the callousness of the crime” and stated that the defendant is a “flight risk.”
Timothy Lambesis pleads not guilty to a single charge of solicitation of murder. His next court date is May 29, 2013.
A San Diego Superior Court judge lowered bail from $3 million to $2 million this afternoon for a man accused of hiring a hitman to kill his wife. The accused man, Timothy Peter Lambesis, 32, is in the midst of a contentious divorce with his wife of eight years, Meggan.
A new defense attorney interrupted Judge David Berry to say that the defendant would not be able to make that bail amount, either. Defense attorney Thomas Warwick replaced Anthony Salerno as defense counsel today, May 17, 2013.
Defense attorney Thomas Warwick argued that bail should be lowered to $250,000, and told the judge that:
Tim Lambesis was born in San Diego County and has remained here his entire life, except when he is traveling with his heavy metal rock band, which is named As I Lay Dying; and
Tim Lambesis received an award from his classmates at a Christian high school, he was chosen “the person most like Jesus…in the sense of his good works and good actions…”
The defense attorney said that Lambesis experienced “a change in his life” when he began lifting weights, and then became a paid spokesman for certain “supplements” which “changed his mental status.” And then Tim Lambesis “got into steroids” and “he was not the same person,” but instead was “irritable,” the defense attorney said.
Tim Lambesis was no longer “the good Christian who was Jesus-like in high school,” attorney Thomas Warwick told the judge, “he even spoke about losing God and losing his belief.”
Prosecutor Claudia Grasso argued to keep bail at $3 million, the amount set at the defendant’s first court appearance on May 9, 2013. The deputy DA described him as “motivated” to kill his wife, that “in fact, when the hitman suggested a time, Mister Lambesis asked if he could meet sooner.”
The prosecutor said that Lambesis met with a man he thought was a hitman – but was actually an undercover agent with the San Diego County Sheriff.
“It moved to more than talk,” prosecutor Grasso told the judge. “When told that the hit was going to be twenty thousand dollars, he didn’t flinch. In fact, he supplied a thousand dollars in cash for expenses. And when told that it was twenty thousand, he said, I have it now. He was very willing to pay that.”
Prosecutor Claudia Grasso remarked on “the callousness of the crime” and stated that the defendant is a “flight risk.”
Timothy Lambesis pleads not guilty to a single charge of solicitation of murder. His next court date is May 29, 2013.