Judge ups bail for Las Vegas DUI suspect tenfold, says he previously misspoke

A Las Vegas judge reversed course Monday and increased bail for a suspect in a fatal DUI crash from $5,000 to $50,000.

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure said he misspoke when he initially set bail for Daniel Stakleff and accepted responsibility for the mistake.

But the family of victim Joree Odabi wants more from the judge.

“Come to us off the record and give us an apology and explain to us, how do you make such a huge mistake,” said Odabi’s sister, Natia Stanley. “That’s an incompetency I can’t even relate to. This is your job. You shouldn’t be misspeaking in court and then it takes you two months to recorrect yourself.”

Stakleff, 38, faces charges of DUI resulting in death and reckless driving in connection with the May 6 crash that killed Odabi, 23, of Las Vegas.

Police said Stakleff tried to conceal receipts for marijuana vape pens and a cannabis dispensary bag in landscaping after the crash, which occurred when Odabi was walking and Stakleff’s Volkswagen Passat drove over the curb and struck him from behind.

Bonaventure said that when he previously ordered $5,000 bail for Stakleff, he meant to say $50,000. Court records indicate the earlier bail was set May 12.

“I must have misread my notes,” he said Monday.

The judge did not immediately respond to a request for comment after the hearing.

Stanley said $50,000 bail was still not adequate and thinks the judge changed the bail amount because of pressure from her family.

Stakleff is white, and Stanley complained that other defendants who are people of color have received higher bail, though she said she was not suggesting an element of racism was at play.

“But outside looking in, as a person of color, that’s what’s being shown to my community, people who look like me,” Stanley said. “We’re being shown that we don’t matter, that when one of our loved ones dies, that perpetrator, that killer can be walking in the community. He can go hit somebody else.”

Attorney Chip Siegel, who represents Stakleff, said his client is out on bail and should be able to post the increased amount. He said he understood the frustration of Odabi’s family but emphasized that for now, his client only faces allegations and prosecutors must still prove their case.

Bail is intended to ensure community safety and court attendance, he said, not punish a defendant. Stakleff has not committed any new offenses and has no criminal history, the lawyer said.

Stakleff did not appear in court Monday, and Siegel said he was not required to show up.

The lawyer said Bonaventure realized the bail error and reached out to Siegel and the prosecutor involved in the case.

“He’s been a judge for a long time,” Siegel said. “He knows what he’s doing, and it seems he simply misspoke.”

The attorney added: “I don’t see race as a factor.”

Bonaventure said Stakleff must post the new bail before his next court date. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 4.

“Get mad,” Stanley said. “Reach out to the judge. Reach out to the court. Reach out to your legislators. Let’s make a change here because this is not OK.”

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.