Ontario arson suspect posts bail, released from jail with conditions

ONTARIO — Paul Clinton Emerson, the Ontario man accused of setting more than half a dozen wildfires in Malheur County this summer, posted $75,000 in bail to secure his release from the Malheur County Jail on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Emerson, who had been in jail since he was arrested July 21, posted 10% of the bail of $750,000, according to court records. Typically, defendants can secure their release by posting 10% of the bail, as in Emerson’s case. Emerson is scheduled to enter a plea to nine counts of first-degree arson, a Class C felony, on Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. MST in Malheur County Circuit Court. His release includes multiple conditions in addition to requiring that he attend the Nov. 20 hearing, according to court records. Emerson is not allowed to “use or possess fire starting materials,” according to records. He is also prohibited from entering public land managed by the BLM, or other public or private rangeland or forests “without direct or written permission,” according to records.

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