Christopher Porco walked out the gate at the Albany County Jail wearing a suit and a smile. For a brief moment he spoke to the media -- making it his first public comment since the death of his father more than a year ago.

When asked how he felt to be out on bail, Christopher said, "Well, pretty good actually. I'd like to say that I'm absolutely innocent and I'm looking forward to trial."

Porco was picked up at the jail by his attorney Terence Kindlon. Then, at The Desmond Hotel, a reunion with his mother, the same woman prosecutors said he tried to murder with an ax.

Kindlon said, "His mom was in the back seat. She was just so happy to see him. I'm sure you couldn't see it because you were too far away, but they gave each other a big hug and they're just as happy as can be. They are ecstatic."

Joan Porco is standing by her son's side. In her only public comment, a letter to the Times Union, she asked prosecutors to "leave her son alone."

Kindlon said, "They are going to spend the weekend together and then we are going to get back to what they are doing. She's still convalescing and he's preparing for trial."

Christopher Porco's release was made possible by a $250,000 cash bail, paid for in full by friends and family members.

Kindlon said, "It took a few days for all the checks to clear. Some of them came from out of town. All the money was assembled this morning. And the check was brought out here as quickly as we possibly could."

Kindlon said there are no specific conditions of Porco's bail, but that he plans to remain in the area until his trial date.