This editorial is brought to you by a staff writer for Law Enforcement Today.
Wondering who is helping contribute to violent riots across America? A Fox News Channel show host just nailed it.
Tucker Carlson opened Saturday’s Tucker Carlson Tonight with a pointed critique of an organization known as The Bail Project.
The group’s objective, according to its website, is to put itself out of business by preventing “incarceration and combat(ing) racial and economic disparities in the bail system.”
Tucker offered several examples of men who had been arrested for domestic abuse and robbery who were freed by The Bail Project. All reoffended, in some cases with severe violence.
Take these two, for example:
Domestic abuser Samuel Lee Scott of St. Louis, Missouri, murdered his wife after The Bail Project paid for his release and Christopher Stewart of Chicago, Illinois, who fired a gun at a child’s party, set his ex-girlfriend’s apartment on fire after The Bail Project arranged for his release.
Set free to terrorize loved ones.
According to their site, The Bail Project has paid bail for 12,096 people. Carlson noted that in the past two years, The Bail Project has paid more than $26 million to release suspected criminals.
Considering how careless they were in choosing to help the two highlighted on Carlson’s show, one hopes that the other people freed by The Bail Project haven’t similarly reoffended.
Maybe it would make everyone’s lives easier if former victims paid protection money to The Bail Project, which could then distribute the money to criminals who would promise not to commit any new crimes.
On the other hand, they’ve already made – and broken – that promise when they were freed on bail.
According to The Bail Project, bail is unfair because it causes people to be incarcerated. But bail actually secures release against the promise of return for trial. If bail didn’t exist, more people would be awaiting their trials in jail.
The Bail Project doesn’t think the system of bail is fair. But what is the alternative to bail if it is unfair?
The Bail Project’s answer: Decriminalize crimes and you won’t have to arrest people. It’s simple, apparently. Don’t arrest people for certain “activities,” let’s call them, and for everything else, let folks go after arrest if they promise to return for trial, with no surety as guarantee they will, in fact, return.
Apparently, to The Bail Project, the only reason criminals exist is that laws exist that define crimes. Get rid of the laws and crime vanishes. Never mind the effect on society.
Some very high rollers are bankrolling The Bail Project and other organizations like it. Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, net worth $4.2 billion, is a contributor.
Former hedge fund manager and current cryptocurrency trader Michael Novogratz is another.
Apparently, bailing out wealth-deprived criminals so that they can commit new crimes against other people in poverty-stricken neighborhoods makes Novogratz and others feel as if they are doing good.
In his multimillion-dollar estate in Armagansett, Novogratz likely wasn’t there to witness Christopher Stewart’s former girlfriend dangle from a second-floor window of her burning apartment, or when Samuel Lee Scott murdered his wife, thanks in part to Novogratz’ money.
In his home on the southeast tip of Long Island, Novogratz could sit back and watch as the number of people bailed out by The Bail Project goes up, just like the value of a hedge fund, and he could imagine that it was a good thing.
However, the indiscriminate release of known criminals is not a good thing for the people who live near them, nor even the criminals themselves, because more crimes committed means more punishment, eventually.
What The Bail Project is effectively accomplishing is the victimization of people who encounter its criminal clientele. It also affords opportunities for those criminals to commit new crimes, thus multiplying their debt to society.
The Bail Project might think criminals are better off on the street, but that is no more true for the criminal than it is for the street.
MINNESOTA – Large cities from coast to coast have seen nightly violent protests during which buildings are destroyed, businesses looted and law enforcement officers assaulted. In response, Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), Democrat vice president nominee, promoted a fund to bail out rioters.
Kamala Harris Supports Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF) That Paid/Pays Bail for Violent, Murderers, Sex Offenders, Rapists https://t.co/GS2Nq3IaZx
— mathewsjw (@mathewsjw) August 12, 2020
Harris posted on her Twitter account:
“If you’re able to, chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota.”
The fund, called the Minnesota Freedom Fund not only “freed” rioters, but also helped free five convicted domestic abusers and one accused domestic abuser from jail, including two men who allegedly strangled women.
If you’re able to, chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota. https://t.co/t8LXowKIbw
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 1, 2020
The Daily Caller obtained court records revealing the names of those freed and their charges:
Donavan Dexter Boone, 31, accused of strangling a woman in front of her minor children;
Davlin Devonte Gates, 28, accused of strangling a woman;
Matthew Owens Earl Thomson, 29, accused of breaking into a woman’s home;
Tyrone Thomas Shields, 53, accused of punching his wife in the head and threatening to “keep beating;”
Reece Omaur Bonneville, 29, accused of assaulting his partner; and
Marcus Marshun Butler, 40, accused of assaulting his girlfriend.
Over 13 Biden campaign staff members / Kamala Harris supports the Minnesota Freedom Fund, a charity designed to post bail for criminals, including rioters
Lionel Timms Accused In Another Serious Assault After Being Bailed Out By #MFF #BidenAmerica https://t.co/TwNPpzQbKM
— _Christene_ (@_Christene_) September 6, 2020
According to the statement of probable cause, Boone was arrested May 2 after he broke into his son’s mother’s apartment and proceeded to strangle her in front of her minor children.
I wonder if the people who did this are people who got bailed out by the Minnesota Freedom Fund? https://t.co/GDvs3WLlkM
— Alex Wauck (@waucka) September 24, 2020
Two of the men who were arrested face felony charges for allegedly strangling the women in their own homes and another stands accused of beating his girlfriend upwards of six times with a closed fist. All but one of the individuals had been convicted of prior domestic violence-related charges when the Minnesota Freedom Fund helped bail them out of jail.
Harris encouraged her supporters to donate to the MFF, sharing the fundraising link to her Twitter account. She told her followers that their contributions to the fund would “help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota.”
Kamala Harris supports the Minnesota Freedom Fund. When asked about bail candidates charged w/ murder & rape, Executive Director of MFF, Greg Lewin, stated: “It is not about the crime, it’s about the system.” https://t.co/Gq2BuR5FXz pic.twitter.com/wMLQYzkOqJ
— Terri 🇺🇸🥂 (@TerriJean78) August 19, 2020
However, the MFF recently revealed that only about six percent of the money it had spent had gone to help bail out people facing “protest-related” charges. A recent update on its website indicates that it has spent at least $3,475,000 bailing people out of jail in the recent months, with just $210,000 of that bailing out protesters and rioters.
Reports also indicated that in the months since Harris promoted the MFF, the fund has helped post bail for people accused of violent crimes, including Timothy Wayne Columbus, who faces up to 30 years in prison for allegedly sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl.
Fox9 News reported that one of the non-protesters bailed out by MFF was Darkina Floyd, who was charged with second-degree murder for allegedly stabbing a friend to death. Another individual who has benefited from the MFF fund was Christopher Boswell, who is facing charges of sexual assault and kidnapping.
Biden silent on Kamala’s support for group that bailed out criminals https://t.co/ArZOUF2iMe via @YouTube Minnesota Freedom Fund
— Jayne (@FlatplaneJayne) September 24, 2020
MFF put up $100,00o on behalf of Floyd and $350,000 on behalf of Boswell. Reports also show that Boswell had previously been convicted twice on sexual assault charges. Allegedly, MFF has an “official policy” that states:
“It does not make determinations of bail support based on the crimes that individuals are alleged to have committed.”
MFF states on its website:
“MFF believes that every individual who has been arrested by the police is innocent until proven guilty and if a judge deems them eligible for bail, they should not have to wait in jail simply because they don’t have the same income or resources as others with more privilege.”
@KamalaHarris should be disqualified also for supporting Minnesota Freedom Fund.
Hannity: Senate GOP’s Hunter Biden report should ‘immediately disqualify’ Joe Biden from presidencyhttps://t.co/3EzUxsMwVs
— 🇺🇸 Steve 🇺🇸 (@lcac31) September 24, 2020
The Biden campaign has voiced that it is in favor of ending cash bail based on the argument that it is discriminatory against those who don’t have the financial means to pay their bail. In addition to Harris, numerous Biden staffers promoted the MFF during the violent riots.
Biden organizer Patrick McCarthy tweeted:
“While massive criminal justice and immigration reform is needed immediately we have to do what we can now. Let’s continue to support @MNFreedomFund. #GeorgeFloyd Who’s Next?”
Another Biden organizer, Sal DeFrancesco tweeted:
“Cash bail is discrimination against the poor and must be abolished. Let’s keep up this effort for the @MNFreedomFund. Who’s next?”
Republicans and the Trump campaign have slammed the Biden campaign over the donations to the group that helped bail out not only rioters, but also people accused of serious, violent crimes. Republican National Committee Rapid Response Director Steve Guest said in a statement:
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have to answer for why they supported a group that helped a man accused of sexually penetrating a child.”
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