Updated: Walker, Bourne bail reduced … but not by much

UPDATED Jan. 12, 8:47 a.m. The Santa Barbara County Jail stated that both Andrew Bourne and Joe Walker had posted bail.

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At a hearing in Santa Barbara Superior court on Tuesday morning, Jan. 10, Judge George C. Eskin heard from attorneys representing Dr. Andrew C. Bourne and Joseph T. Walker arguing for a reduction in bail.

The two men were arrested on Jan. 4 on several charges relating to an inappropriate sexual relationship with a Santa Barbara girl who was under the age of 16.

Bail had been set at $1 million each. It was reduced on Tuesday to $750,000 for each Mammoth man.

The reduction in bail included the following conditions: no contact with direct or indirect witnesses; no contact with unrelated minors or the alleged victim; electronic monitoring; gps installed on cars.

When the Judge announced the bail reduction, Bourne turned to his attorney and shook his head, appearing to indicate that bail had not been lowered enough for him to meet.

After the Judge made his announcement, Bourne’s wife, Gilann began to shudder and cry. Joe Walker, on the other hand, did not betray any emotion and neither did his family members (father Sam, mother Shelly, brother Chris) who were present in the courtroom.

The arrest was made following a months-long investigation. Police say more than 1,000 emails were obtained as evidence.

The content of some of those emails was revealed by Santa Barbara Deputy D.A. Mary Barron on Tuesday to show that Messrs. Bourne and Walker posed a flight risk and should not have their bail reduced.

The emails provided the first small glimpse of state’s evidence.

Barron said evidence showed how one of Bourne’s vehicles had been equipped with enough supplies and weapons to last a few days and had $5,000 dollars in it that his wife was unaware of.

It was suggested by the prosecutor that Bourne had outfitted the vehicle because he had a plan to flee with the young girl.

The next hearing is set for Thursday, Jan. 19. Both men were still in custody as of the time of this post.

The Sheet will have complete coverage of Tuesday’s bail hearing, and how it affects the local community in Friday’s print version of the paper.