NEW YORK – A New York state appeals court has slashed the bail for a suburban mother accused of running a multimillion-dollar Manhattan escort service.
The court ruled Tuesday that a judge's decision to jail Anna Gristina on $2 million bond was "unreasonable and an abuse of discretion." It agreed to lower the amount to $250,000.
Gristina's attorney said his client hopes to raise the funds soon enough to be released by next week. She's been behind bars since her February arrest on charges of promoting prostitution.
The Manhattan district attorney's office declined to comment on Tuesday.
Prosecutors say Gristina peddled prostitutes for 15 years and boasted that she had law-enforcement contacts. Her lawyers have said she was merely starting a matchmaking business.
She has pleaded not guilty.
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