▁a ▁judge ▁refused ▁the ▁arr este es ' ▁request ▁for ▁a ▁reduction ▁in ▁the ▁unus ually ▁high ▁b ail . ▁Mark ▁V erme ulen , ▁the ▁att orney ▁representing ▁Pet rel is ▁and ▁Pas quare l li , ▁said ▁the ▁activ ists ▁were ▁ab iding ▁by ▁the ▁rest ra ining ▁orders , ▁the ▁matter ▁was ▁being ▁handled ▁by ▁the ▁civil ▁courts , ▁and ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁need ▁for ▁criminal ▁pro sec ution . ▁The ▁twenty - se ven ▁counts ▁of ▁criminal ▁consp i racy , ▁st alk ing , ▁and ▁making ▁terror ist ▁thre ats ▁carried ▁a ▁possible ▁penalty ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁sevent y - e ight ▁years ▁in ▁prison . ▁ ▁Pet rel is ▁and ▁Pas quare l li ▁admitted ▁they ▁made ▁late - night ▁phone ▁calls ▁but ▁denied ▁making ▁thre ats . ▁They ▁said ▁they ▁had ▁been ▁anger ed ▁by ▁an ▁article ▁reporting ▁what ▁they ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁con co cted ▁SF DP H ▁statistics ▁showing ▁rising ▁rates ▁of ▁sy ph ilis ▁among ▁gay ▁men ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco . ▁The ▁activ ists ▁also ▁admitted ▁making ▁similar ▁phone ▁calls ▁to ▁Jeff rey ▁Klaus ner , ▁the ▁public ▁health ▁official ▁from ▁whose ▁office ▁at ▁SF DP H ▁the ▁sy ph ilis ▁statistics ▁had ▁origin ated ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁comp lain ants ▁in ▁the ▁criminal ▁proceed ings . ▁Klaus ner ▁had ▁also ▁anger ed ▁the ▁activ ists ▁by ▁spec ulating ▁in ▁a ▁Washington ▁Month ly ▁magazine ▁article ▁about ▁possibly ▁quar ant ining ▁H IV - pos itive ▁men ▁who ▁refused ▁to ▁practice