After reading the two recent articles concerning bail for Cordell Schneider and Jonah Barrett-Lesko, I have decided that our jail should be used to house the homeless.
In Schneider’s case, he has been found guilty of vehicular homicide and reckless driving, Yet while out on bond he violated the terms of his bond by allegedly driving and crashing a motorcycle with no license or insurance and trying to leave the scene of the accident. Apparently, Judge William Herringer felt that a warning that further violations of his bond could affect his sentencing in October was the appropriate response to his involvement in a second accident.
Why is Schneider not considered a danger to the community? Just because no one was injured in the second incident, he still should be in jail until sentencing, since he can’t comply with the law.
Next, we have Judge Anne Woods, who decided that an accused animal abuser – who told the court that the horse was giving him a certain vibe – gets released on a personal recognizance bond. At the very least, shouldn’t he have been held over for an evaluation before releasing him back onto our streets? He was soon re-arrested on suspicion of stealing bikes, breaking into cars and shoplifting.
These judges are being way too lenient and are more interested in coddling the accused and not protecting our community. We need more accountability from our judicial system than we are getting in both of these cases.
David Green
Bayfield
