Gristina has said she was merely starting a matchmaking service, not peddling prostitutes. She has pleaded not guilty to promoting prostitution, a low-level felony punishable by up to seven years in prison.

Gristina was arrested on Feb. 22 as she left a fundraising meeting at a friend's Morgan Stanley office, where she'd been trying to raise money for her business, prosecutors say.

Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan initially ordered her jailed on $2 million bond and declined requests to reduce it. But an appeals court called the amount "unreasonable and an abuse of discretion" and lowered it to $250,000 on June 12. A judge signed off on bail arrangements on Tuesday.

Gristina left court wearing a gray sweater, electric blue warm-up pants, the ankle monitor — and a wide smile.

"The nightmare of her bond ends today, and trial preparation begins tomorrow morning," said her lawyer, Norman Pattis, adding that they were looking forward to "when we walk out of this courtroom when we hear a verdict of 'not guilty.'"