On my podcast I recently spoke about a paroled, level 3 convicted sex offender, Van Phu Bui, who sucker punched Jesus Cortes, a 52 year old man who had to be put into a medically induced coma. Cortes was doing better last I checked. I stated that Bui, who assaulted him had no provocation to do so. Not that this would make any difference.
The Bronx DA downgraded this guy’s criminal charges from attempted murder to some form of misdemeanor. Due to bail reform, this guy was released back into the street with no bail.
Now it’s easy to misdirect the narrative here and make it about bail reform. However, if the DA had charged this criminal with a proper charge, instead of misdemeanor charges, he wouldn’t be released. In fact, later, the NY Governor had him picked up again as he is on lifetime parole for his sex offender crimes. A parolee put a man in a coma, and the Bronx Da let him walk. That’s the real problem here.
I don’t know enough detail about bail reform to speak in depth about it. However, I can say that regardless of how you feel about bail reform, the failure here was at the DAs office. They charged him with a lesser crime that got him back out on the street. They didn’t get him for violating parole either. Meanwhile his victim was in a hospital, in a coma, fighting for his life.
Make this make sense to me? Someone? Anyone?
Just a life long New Yorker sharing the journey through my lens. Please take note of a post’s date. The views I express here are subject to change and evolving as I grow and learn.