The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has until Monday to show cause why actor Robert Blake should not be granted an immediate bail hearing before going on trial for the murder of his wife, the California Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

"We are hopeful now that he will get out on bail," Blake's lawyer, Harland Braun, tells the Associated Press. His client has offered to post $1 million bail.

Blake, 69, is accused of murder, conspiracy, solicitation to murder and the special circumstance of lying in wait in the fatal shooting of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, 44, on May 4, 2001, outside a Studio City, Calif., Italian restaurant where they had just had dinner.

The ex-"Baretta" star has remained behind bars since his April 18 arrest and is currently facing a preliminary hearing Nov. 13 to determine if there is sufficient evidence for him to stand trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.

Prosecutors in the case are standing firm in their position to deny Blake bail, given the lying-in-wait allegation against him. In a brief, the prosecution stated, "Murder with lying-in-wait special circumstances is a capital crime. The California Constitution denies such a defendant bail."