Judge Delays Decision on Bail for Tate Brothers

Andrew and Tristan Tate say they're being treated like cartel bosses, not internet personalities, and want out of a Florida jail while they fight being sent to the UK. The brothers, arrested in Miami on July 19, told a federal court on Thursday they should be released on bail so they can contest a British extradition bid tied to 59 charges, including rape, sex trafficking, and offenses involving indecent images of a child, the BBC reports.

• Both denied wrongdoing, with Andrew, 39, insisting he has "never committed the crimes I'm accused of," and Tristan, 38, describing cramped, sweltering conditions that he says make it impossible to take part in his defense.

• Tristan Tate said his daily diet is mostly candy and chips, calling his conditions "death by scurvy instead of death by starvation," reports NBC News. He claimed to have lost 14 pounds in the six weeks since his arrest, though prosecutors said prisoners get three balanced meals a day and both brothers have gained a few pounds, the AP reports.
• During Thursday's hearing, prosecutors argued that the dual US-UK citizens are a flight risk, pointing to their wealth, online boasts of multiple passports, and resources that could bankroll an escape. The brothers' lawyers argued that their claims of wealth were greatly exaggerated as part of their online personas.

• Defense lawyers argued the brothers' notoriety makes disappearing unrealistic. They argued that Andrew Tate's misogynistic online persona is not his true character. Online, he uses "foul language, speaks in vulgarities, advocates positions that are in many ways outrageous," said defense lawyer Howard Srebnick, per NBC. But "that is not the person Andrew Tate. That is the character." Assistant US Attorney Abbie Waxman said the brothers "promote incredible violence against women consistent with the allegations against them."
• The defense called an English woman who described a long-term relationship with Andrew Tate and said he has "never ever been violent toward women." She said she has a child with Tate who is almost nine months old, with another one due in a month.
• Defense lawyers also argued that a separate case in Romania should take precedence over the British case. The British Embassy asked the judge to keep the brothers in custody pending a full extradition request, due by Sept. 16. After eight hours, the hearing ended without a decision, the AP reports. US Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis will issue a written decision on bail at a later date.