Bam Margera Held For Trial In Chester County Court: UPDATE

WEST CHESTER, PA —Brandon “Bam” Margera, former star of MTV’s “Jackass,” was ordered held for court Thursday on charges of assaulting his brother, Jesse, in the family residence, known as "Castle Bam" Pocopson Township, Chester County.

District Judge Albert Iacocca ordered Margera, 43, to stand trial on charges of simple assault and making terroristic threats stemming from a fight in April with his older brother, Jesse, 44.
Margera is free on $50,000 bail and had planned to fly back home to Los Angelos, Calif., Thursday afternoon.

But that’s not happening.

The magistrate was concerned about Margera’s sobriety and asked that he get a drug and alcohol test done in Pennsylvania.

The judge noted that his bail could be revoked if he does not comply with the rules to submit the test results to the pre-trial services.

"This is not a joke," the judge said. "This is not a movie. This is life."

Subsequently, a test was scheduled for Friday at the Recovery Centers of America in Devon, Chester County.

His lawyer, Michael T. van Der Veen, said that Bam Margera is working hard on his sobriety. He said the charges should be dismissed.

“He’s taking it day by day,” van Der Veen said.

Van Der Veen said the issue is about a disagreement between brothers, not a criminal matter.

“This isn’t a case that belongs in court,” he said. “It’s just between two brothers.”
Assistant District Attorney Zachary Yurick agreed that drug and alcohol addiction is an issue with the case.

Jesse Margera testifies

His brother, Jesse, took the stand, testifying for over an hour during the hearing about his relationship with his brother.

Jesse Margera testified his brother was visiting him at Castle Bam, for two weeks.

At the start of the visit, he said, Bam was “initially pretty chill, but it started to get bad.”

He said Bam Margera started partying with his friends and seemed inebriated.

“His behavior was frightening and unpredictable,” Jesse Margera testified. “He was screaming. You were not sure if he was going to tell you a funny story or stab you with a whiskey bottle.”

The older brother said that he tries not to drink around his younger brother.

During the visit, Jesse Margera said that his brother read a text message on Jesse’s phone that suggested Bam needed to be institutionalized.

He said that Bam Margera then left a note at his door, threatening to harm his brother if he called the police.

Jesse Margera said his brother hit him eight to 10 times, rupturing his ear. He showed photographs of his injuries to his face to the judge.

Jesse Margera also testified that Bam smashed a guitar that was owned by Billy Idol. He also threatened to kill their parents.

Under cross-examination, Jesse Margera said: “I don’t want to get him in trouble, I just want to get him the help he needs. This has been going on for years.”

Margera’s lawyer said Margera is not guilty and will fight the charges.

Family members and friends of the family attended the hearing.

Bam Margera is a professional skateboarder and stuntman. He was popular in the early 2000s as an MTV star “Jackass.” He has written and produced independent films.

Margera, whose real name is Brandon Cole, grew up in West Chester and owns houses in Chester County, one in the borough and a second, known as Castle Bam, in Pocopson Township.

His brother, Jesse Margera, a drummer in the band CKY, wrote on Instagram: "He is a danger to himself and anyone around him and that is unacceptable."

Van der Veen, a Philadelphia attorney, is known for defending former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial.