“Unconscionable.” “Appalling.” “Sense of hopelessness.” “Woke dictations to our magistrates.”
Those are just some of the descriptors used after a judge in Texas set bail at just $50,000 for a homeless, violent, convicted sexual predator, arrested in Austin in December, as reported by Fox News, despite a previous judge recommending a $1 million bond. (AG Merrick Garland was unavailable for comment.)
According to Fox, Austin Police dispatched to a Dec. 27 criminal trespass call where they reported witnessing Ronald Martin Jr., a convicted sex offender, “performing oral sex on what appeared to be a young juvenile male.”
Police booked Martin — listed as a lifetime high-risk sexual offender by the Texas Department of Public Safety — on an open warrant for failing to register as a sex offender, while they continued to investigate the latest allegation. He has previous convictions for multiple child sex crimes, including at least one against a 7-year-old boy.
What could possibly go wrong?
Ronald Martin Jr. (Austin City Police Department) pic.twitter.com/RfA3tynpkp
— Hold My Beer (@RealLibSmacker) January 6, 2022
Austin Police Department Senior Officer Justin Berry told Fox News the minimal bail is appalling.
It’s just unconscionable that a judge that took an oath to keep the community safe, to protect children, would do something that would take a known career criminal and violent predator and put him back out in the street.
It’s beyond unconscionable — it’s disgusting and obscene. Treating cell doors like revolving doors in “regular” assault cases is one thing. Releasing a high-risk violent child predator with multiple convictions is another. (The party “protects the children” was unavailable for comment.)
According to Fox, police later identified the victim as a 14-year-old boy from Kentucky. He told police he met Martin on Instagram. Martin traveled to a church near the boy’s home, he told police, where he picked the boy up and bought two Greyhound bus tickets to Austin, where he told police Martin anally and orally sexually assaulted him.
More, via Fox:
Following interviews with Martin and the boy, Austin municipal court Judge Patrick McNelis signed a warrant for Martin’s arrest on Dec. 29 for second-degree felony sexual assault of a child. McNelis also signed a recommended bond of $1 million, citing, in part, that “the defendant is currently in custody for failure to register as a sex offender.”
The next day, Martin appeared for a bond hearing before Judge Christyne Harris Schultz. She signed off on a $50,000 surety bond for Martin, which meant he could walk free if he posted just 10% of the bond amount, or $5,000.
Harris Schultz defended her decision in a phone call with Fox News.
As a judge, I follow the code of criminal procedure, in every case. And in determining the amount and the conditions of bail, [I] consider the financial resources and their ability to make bail, and the safety of the community and the alleged victim as well.
Wait — she first considers the financial resources of the accused and his or her ability to make bail? Why? And her concern for the safety of the community? Please. Ever notice how activist judges always err on the inexcusable side in favor of criminals and those charged with serious crimes, vs. the victims? Me, too.
Low bail set by judges for sexual offenders like Martin leaves Austin officers with “a sense of hopelessness,” Officer Berry told Fox News.
One of the officers I’ve talked to involved in this case […] is deeply hurt. They spent a lot of time with the victim in this case, and they feel hopeless.
Berry also blamed the culture of Austin, the Texas state capital, for the insanity.
The culture has really got to change. I think [the] city of Austin, our elected officials, really got to stop meddling and stop giving ‘woke’ dictations to our magistrates.
Martin remains in jail on a $50,000 bond for the sexual assault charge and $10,000 for his alleged failure to register as a sex offender and is scheduled for a court hearing on Jan. 20. I assume he will be present. That is unless he posts bond and buys a couple of Greyhound bus tickets to the self-promised land.
Meanwhile, parents, if applicable: Pay attention to what your kids are doing on social media.
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