1 of 2 men charged in deadly Oakland Ghost Ship fire gets bail reduced
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- One of the men charged in Oakland's deadly Ghost Ship fire had his bail reduced Friday, but his attorneys say he's still not happy.
Attorneys for Max Harris, one of two men charged in the deadly Ghost Ship fire, say their client never had a guilty conscience and never thought he'd be facing charges.
But Harris faced at a judge at a bail hearing in Oakland who denied a motion to release the 27 year old from jail.
PHOTOS: Before and after pictures of Oakland Ghost Ship fire
He did drop bail from more than $1 million to $750,000.
"What happened today is unjust. Max Harris is innocent," Defense Attorney Curtis Briggs said. "We have a young kid, an artist who did his best to save lives the night of this tragic event. And now he's subject to raising $750,000 bail."
Both Harris and Ghost Ship operator Derick Almena face 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter.
PHOTOS: A look inside the Oakland Ghost Ship collective warehouse
A sketch showed Harris at Friday's hearing, his blue hair in a ponytail.
Defense attorney Tyler Smith read letters from friends describing Harris as kind, caring, and sincere.
"Max lost a lot of friends himself in the fire. Max, after the fire, was extremely depressed and sad as anyone would be losing their friends. He's never had a guilty conscience," Smith said.
Prosecutors accused Harris of blocking a stairwell at the Ghost Ship, which trapped people upstairs during the fire.
They said while Harris has no prior criminal history, his mistake did lead to the death of 36 people, and a high bail is the best way to ensure his appearance in court.
Click here for full coverage on the investigation into Oakland's deadly Ghost Ship Fire.
