CANTON -- St. Lawrence County Sheriff Brooks Bigwarfe has issued a statement making note of a bail hearing Monday where an Edwards man with multiple charges against him over the course of the last week had his bail increased from hundreds of dollars to thousands.

On Monday, the bail hearing for Clifton W. Guiles, 33, of 2491 State Highway 58 , Edwards, was held in Canton Town Court before Justice Michael Morgan “as to the release on charges of Criminal Contempt that have been levied against him over the last several days by my office,” Sheriff Bigwarfe wrote on Tuesday.

"Mr. Guiles is innocent until proven guilty, however over the course of the five days he has continued to post bail in the amounts of $250, $300 and had even been released under the supervision of the Probation Department while facing numerous Criminal Contempt Charges," Bigwarfe continued.

Guiles was charged Tuesday, Feb. 18 with first-degree criminal contempt, a felony, fourth-degree criminal mischief, second-degree harassment and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, according to St. Lawrence County sheriff’s deputies. The charges stem from an alleged domestic dispute the day before.

In the next few days he was charged twice more for subsequently disobeying a court's “stay-away” order of protection, according to deputies.

"After the hearing was conducted yesterday he is now being held in the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility on $5,000.00 Bail or $10,000.00 Bond," Bigwarfe said in his statement.

"This media release is being sent to inform the citizens of this County to better help them understand the reality of what has gone on over the last several days here in St. Lawrence County in part of the Bail Reform Laws," he said.

"The victims need to know that the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office and other Law Enforcement agencies in this County are not giving up despite the challenges we face with Bail Reform and will continue to assist victims as much as possible."

A bail reform law that recently went into effect in New York is aimed at eliminating bail for all but the most serious crimes.

A backlash has arisen, mostly from Republican lawmakers but with the support of some Democrats, who say the reform is too lenient by requiring the release of potentially dangerous suspects without bail, thus putting the public at risk.