Man Charged With Sex Abuse Day After Release Under New Bail Law

Police officers, law makers and citizens around Long Island have been protesting the state's new bail reform law, which many says goes too far and allows criminals back on the street. The Commanding Officers Association of Long Beach has documented the latest case of a person who would have been given bail under the old system allowed to roam free and commit more crimes.

According to the COA — which is the union representing Long Beach police officers — the Long Beach Police received a call on Jan. 12 for an incident on a train. Police say that Esias O. Johnson, 22, sat down next to another passenger on the LIRR, took out a hammer, and then exposed himself and began masturbating. Johnson was arrested at the station and charged with public lewdness, menacing with a weapon and criminal possession of a weapon.

Johnson was arraigned in Long Beach City Court, and because of the new bail reforms, the judge released him without bail on Jan. 13. Johnson was ordered to immediately respond to probation pre-trial services for supervision. But the COA says he never showed up.

The next day, Johnson was arrested in New York City in another sexual-related incident. He was charged with third-degree sexual abuse, second-degree menacing, forcible touching of intimate parts and two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. After his second arrest, the judge set bail at $1,500, which has not been posted.

"It is important to remember that in each instance, the Police Department, District Attorney’s Office and Judges followed the new bail deform laws exactly and were powerless to take any other action," the COA wrote on Facebook. "Full credit for the bail deforms and all actions or lack thereof belong with New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York Legislature."

The bail reform has many people concerned. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said that crime was trending down for years in the city, but has seen sharp spikes in the first three weeks in January. He attributed the rise to the bail reform laws.

Proponents of the bail reform say that the old law unfairly targeted low-income people, who could be put in jail and issued bail for a low-level offense and not be able to post it. They would languish in prison, losing their jobs and time with their families. The bail reform laws allow people to continue to live their lives while awaiting trial.

Crimes that no longer require bail in New York include criminally negligent homicide, second-degree manslaughter, third-degree assault, burglary and stalking, among many others.

There have been many cases on Long Island of people being arrested, released under the bail law, and then quickly arrested again for similar crimes.

An Island Park woman was arrested four times in one week on various vandalism charges. After the fourth arrest, she was ordered held on $100 bail, according to court records.

An East Meadow man was released from the Nassau County Jail on Dec. 31 under the new bail laws, was arrested on Jan. 6, released, and then arrested again on Jan. 15 after police say he led officers on a chase in a stolen car and injured another driver. He was released without bail again after that incident, according to court documents.

A Bellport man who was charged with driving while intoxicated after a crash on Jan. 12 that left one man dead was also released without bail.

Nassau County legislators have also come out against the law. And Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said the reforms went "too far and too fast."

Many Long Islanders have come out against the reforms. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder was recently on "Fox & Friends" to talk about the reforms. "Those we lock up, those that are going to jail are coming out the same day," he said.