LOS ANGELES — A California judge refused to lower bail for the out-of-control BMW driver accused of killing four Pepperdine University students, saying it isn’t the court’s job to help him pay for his high-profile lawyer — who recently got Karen Read acquitted in a stunning verdict.
Fraser Bohm, 23, faces murder and vehicular manslaughter charges for allegedly fatally mowing down sorority sisters Niamh Rolston, 20, Peyton Stewart, 21, Asha Weir, 21, and Deslyn Williams, 21, while doing over 100 mph in Malibu in 2023.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Thomas Rubinson shot down a request from Alan Jackson — the hotshot LA lawyer who’s defended Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and most recently Read — to cut Bohm’s bail from $4 million to $2 million.
Jackson, whom the family hired in June, claimed the family sold their home and “drained all their retirement” to pay for Bohm’s defense.
He said the bond company has frozen collateral from the home sale, thus the family won’t be able to fund the evidence-gathering and expert testimony needed to prove the crash was a “terrible accident” and not a crime.
But Rubinson pointed out that Bohm’s bail had already been lowered from an initial amount of $8 million — $2 million for each murder charge — and said the family is welcome to use free, public defense if they are as penniless as they claim to be.
He said shelling out for private counsel and star expert witnesses was a luxury, not a right.
“Believe me when I say … there are many, many defendants sitting in the county jail right now who would love me to reduce their bail so they can hire Alan Jackson or other private counsel. That’s not the way it works,” Rubinson said.
Tracy Rolston, whose daughter Niamh was killed in the crash, was present for the hearing and praised the court for keeping the bail at $4 million.
“We’re happy it’s not lower. It’s been two years, and we’re just waiting for some justice to be served,” she told The Post.
Escorting Bohm out of the courthouse, Jackson said the judge’s decision would not deter the defense and that his team is “looking forward to our moment … to get the truth out.”
Jackson is fresh off his June victory of getting Read acquitted of charges she drunkenly mowed down her Boston cop boyfriend in 2022 — a case that captivated the nation.
Prosecutors say Bohm was careening at 104 miles per hour down a notoriously dangerous stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway when he lost control and slammed his BMW into the four college students, who had been walking home from a night on the town.
He pleaded not guilty to four murder counts last month after his former attorney claimed video evidence shows he had been chased by another driver in a fit of road rage.
However, the LA County District Attorney’s Office maintained that it does not have evidence to support the road rage claim.
Bohm’s next hearing is Oct. 8.
