Lori Vallow's Request For Bond Reduction Denied As Her Lawyer Alleges Their Calls Are Being Recorded

A request for bond reduction has been denied for Lori Vallow, the mother of two missing children whom she has been unable to produce despite a court order.

After a nearly three hour afternoon hearing, Magistrate Judge Michelle Mallard said Friday that she did not hear "any good cause" to reduce Vallow's bail.

Vallow, sometimes referred to as Lori Daybell or Lori Vallow Daybell, was arrested in Kauai in February after she failed to show that her kids — 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua “J.J.” Vallow — were okay by bringing them to a court by a set date. While she was initially booked on a $5 million bond for felony child abandonment, misdemeanor resisting and obstructing an officer, solicitation of a crime and contempt of court charges, her bond was later reduced to $1 million.

Vallow’s attorney Mark Means filed a motion last month asking for a bail reduction hearing, claiming that a similar request was previously ignored. He made several privacy complaints in his motion, including having to pass sensitive documents through a Detention Center Officer. Means also claimed that a phone call between him and Vallow was recorded and the jail was impairing his ability to adequately prepare for a preliminary hearing in the case.

Means brought up these concerns to the court during the lengthy hearing. He expressed concern over who listened to the recorded phone call. Furthermore, he claimed that his “gut” told him that multiple phone calls between him and his client were recorded. He argued that $1 million is unattainable, and asked for his client's bond to be reduced to as low as $150,000.

Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Rob Wood argued that one call between Means and Vallow was partially recorded on March 31, but claimed that Means knew he was being recorded because all jail call prefix with a recording that states so. Therefore, he said that the privilege rights no longer existed, yet the call was still blocked as a courtesy. He then said Means’ claim that multiple calls were recorded is "absolutely false." 

“I think this is an attempt to divert the public away from the actual facts of the case,” Wood told Mallard.

Mallard sided with Wood, telling Means, “Your gut reaction isn't anything I can take action on." 

She said there are others in jail that have to deal with communication with their defense. While she noted that Vallow is a high profile inmate, Mallard said she is confident that those issues can be smoothed out.  

Vallow — who was wearing a mask  — did not speak during the hearing.