PLACERVILLE, Calif. — An El Dorado County judge set Phillip Garrido’s bail at $30 million, while the district attorney urged the media to leave Jaycee Dugard alone amid rumors that Oprah Winfrey has secured an interview with her. A Winfrey spokeswoman denies the claim.
Superior Court Judge Douglas Phimister granted a defense attorney’s request that Garrido undergo psychological evaluation. His wife, Nancy, remains in custody without bail, and her attorney plans to make a similar request for an evaluation.
Even if Phillip Garrido makes bail, he would be subject to a parole hold because of his conviction in the 1976 kidnapping and rape of a South Lake Tahoe woman.
The Garridos could each receive multiple life sentences if convicted of abducting Dugard as an 11-year-old and raping her over several years in a hidden backyard warren of tents and sheds, where authorities say she gave birth as a teen to two girls fathered by Phillip Garrido.
The Garridos sat quietly in the courtroom Monday morning, their hands shackled in front of them, neither looking at the other. Nancy Garrido used her hair to shield her face from a battery of cameras.
The only words the couple spoke were “Yes, sir” when asked to waive their right to have a trial within 60 days.
The couple have pleaded not guilty to 29 felony charges.
Britain’s Daily Mirror tabloid has reported Dugard will appear on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in December, and that she will receive $1 million for the appearance. Angela De Paul, a spokeswoman for the show, said Monday that no interview has been confirmed and said, “We don’t pay for interviews.”
