Mayor Decries Judge's Call To Release Man Charged In Sex Assault

LIVERMORE, CA — Mayor John Marchand published a scathing letter on Friday, slamming an East Bay judge's decision to allow a man charged with a Livermore sexual assault to be released from Santa Rita Jail.

Gregory P. Vien, 61, of Livermore was released from jail April 24 due to concerns about the new coronavirus. Vien is accused of assaulting two women of Livermore and Union City in 1997. The cases weren't solved until last year, when Livermore police lifted DNA off of a Baskin-Robbins that police say tied him to the assaults.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Thomas Reardon, a veteran judge with a prosecutorial background, granted Vien a bail reduction from $2.5 million to zero, defense attorney Melissa Adams said on Thursday. Reardon was concerned that Vien had health conditions that would make it unsafe for him to remain at the jail.

A request for Reardon's comment left with the Alameda County Superior Court was not immediately returned Monday.

Though Reardon said Vien must wear an ankle monitor and remain on house arrest, Marchand still had his concerns and said Vien is "unrepentant and unremorseful for his vicious attacks on women."

District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said in a statement last week, "We argued vehemently against his release, and we are strongly opposed to releasing people charged with serious and violent felonies such as rape and sexual assault."

Marchand said Reardon's priorities were poorly aligned and his decision "has shown that we can no longer rely upon judges to keep us safe."

"As the Mayor of Livermore, I have to ask Judge Reardon, 'What about the safety and well-being on my community?'"

The decision to release Vien comes as inmate advocates press for the release of more Santa Rita Jail inmates. Advocates say they are in danger of contracting the new coronavirus and falling seriously ill in such cramped quarters.

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— Bay City News Service contributed to this report