Michael Avenatti Won't Spend Pandemic in Jail

A federal judge has agreed with Michael Avenatti that because the lawyer had pneumonia last year, a Manhattan jail is no place for him during the pandemic. Avenatti has been released from the Metropolitan Correctional Center, which has had inmates test positive for the coronavirus, CNN reports. The plan is for him to stay at a friend's house in Los Angeles. Avenatti won't be allowed to use the internet during his home confinement, and he'll wear an electronic bracelet to monitor his location. Another friend put up a $1 million bond to seal the court deal. He will go back to the jail in 90 days, and spend 14 days in quarantine to make sure he isn't bringing the coronavirus back with him.

As of now, Avenatti is scheduled to be back in court for sentencing in June, per Time. He was convicted in February of trying to extort $25 million from Nike. He also faces charges that he embezzled $300,000 from porn star Stormy Daniels, a former client; tax fraud; and cheating other people, including clients, out of millions. Avenatti has pleaded not guilty to those charges. (Avenatti said he dropped Stormy Daniels as a client in early 2019.)