Here we go again. Another day, another story of the disastrous “bail reform” law that went into effect on the first of the year in New York. As you may recall, this new law is intended to be more “fair” to criminal suspects and eliminate racism directed at minorities. It allows people arrested on a wide variety of charges to be immediately released without having to post bail while they await trial. What could possibly go wrong, amirite?
Enter Gerod Woodberry, a 42-year-old Big Apple resident with a significant rap sheet. Starting on December 30th, Mr. Woodberry decided to ring in the new year with a bit of “undocumented withdrawal” at a series of local banks and credit unions. He managed to take down four banks in just over a week. Last Thursday he was finally identified and arrested. Of course, under the new bail reform law, they had to let him go immediately. I’m sure you’ve already figured out what happened next. (NY Post)
A serial robber who allegedly knocked over four banks in less than two weeks was released without bail on grand larceny charges Thursday — and is now suspected of robbing a fifth bank on Friday, law-enforcement sources told The Post…
The suspect, 42-year-old Gerod Woodberry, went on the mini bank-robbing spree starting on Dec. 30, when he slipped a teller a robbery note at a Midtown bank and escaped with more than $1,000, the sources said.
He struck again in Harlem on Jan. 3, again handing a teller a robbery note, but didn’t get any cash in that caper.
After the robberies in Midtown and Harlem, Woodberry would go on to knock over banks in West Village and the Upper West Side before finally being arrested on Thursday.
The real icing on the cake here is the quote from Woodberry that a source provided to a reporter upon his release. “I can’t believe they let me out,” he said. “What were they thinking?”
What were they thinking indeed? As indicated above, it was less than 24 hours before he was arrested yet again, this time for a bank robbery in Brooklyn. And of course, they still had to let him go. No word as to whether or not he’s struck again since then.
When people were warning about how badly this change in the law was going to go, keep in mind that liberal outlets like Slate were singing its praises, saying that the change would probably make New York safer. The New Republic crowed that cash bail was never about safety, but just a way for bail bondsmen to make money. Mother Jones accused politicians of “using antisemitic attacks to scare people about bail reform.”
The unfolding disaster on the streets did manage to catch the attention of the Governor and the Speaker of the Assembly. But sadly, the only “fix” to the law they are willing to consider is an exception for hate crimes. Correct me if I’m wrong, but robbing six banks in ten days still doesn’t qualify as a hate crime, does it? So Mr. Woodberry will continue to be put out on the streets to menace bank tellers for as long as his pro-bono lawyer can hold off his trial.
New York, New York. So nice they say it twice. But as I’ve been advising you New York City denizens for years now… flee as you value your lives. Get out while there’s still time.
