Judge not punished for setting bail: court spokesman
Nassau District Court Judge David McAndrews was considered a hero by critics of New York's new bail reform law last month when he demanded $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond from an accused two-time bank robber.
Back-to-back bank robberies are not considered enough of a crime to require bail under the criminal justice laws written and approved by the Democratic majority in Albany last year.
At the time, the suspect also was awaiting sentencing in Central Islip federal court for violating his supervised release from a 2012 crack-trafficking case, according to the New York Post.
That too did not warrant bail under the Democratic reforms.
But McAndrews, a Republican, told suspect Romell Nellis of Hempstead, "I don't want you walking around my neighborhood."
McAndrews decision to require bail was quickly overturned by fellow Republican judge Chris Quinn, who orderd Nellis released with a ankle-monitor.
Nellis was back in court his week after police say he cut off the ankle monitor and robbed two more banks.
At a county hearing Thursday, Brian Sullivan, who heads the county's Corrections Officer Benevolent Association, suggested that McAndrews was punished for imposing bail on Nellis by being transferred to small claims court.
Not true, according to Nassau court spokesman Dan Bagnuola.
Bagnuola today said district court judges often rotate in and out of small claims court and other criminal and civil parts of district court. But he said McAndrews "was never in small claims and he was not reassigned or moved due to the bail issue."
McAndrews continues to hear criminal cases in a trial part of district court, Bagnuola said.
Back-to-back bank robberies are not considered enough of a crime to require bail under the criminal justice laws written and approved by the Democratic majority in Albany last year.
At the time, the suspect also was awaiting sentencing in Central Islip federal court for violating his supervised release from a 2012 crack-trafficking case, according to the New York Post.
That too did not warrant bail under the Democratic reforms.
But McAndrews, a Republican, told suspect Romell Nellis of Hempstead, "I don't want you walking around my neighborhood."
McAndrews decision to require bail was quickly overturned by fellow Republican judge Chris Quinn, who orderd Nellis released with a ankle-monitor.
Nellis was back in court his week after police say he cut off the ankle monitor and robbed two more banks.
At a county hearing Thursday, Brian Sullivan, who heads the county's Corrections Officer Benevolent Association, suggested that McAndrews was punished for imposing bail on Nellis by being transferred to small claims court.
Not true, according to Nassau court spokesman Dan Bagnuola.
Bagnuola today said district court judges often rotate in and out of small claims court and other criminal and civil parts of district court. But he said McAndrews "was never in small claims and he was not reassigned or moved due to the bail issue."
McAndrews continues to hear criminal cases in a trial part of district court, Bagnuola said.
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