Bail Reform Blasted After Man Charged In Fatal Crash Freed

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY — Days after a horrific crash left one man dead and another charged with DWI and set free without bail, social media has exploded with individuals outraged and calling for a repeal of new bail reform legislation.

Many expressed fresh anger Wednesday after, according to a report on News12.com, a bench warrant was issued for Jordan Randoph, 40, of Bellport, who was charged in Sunday's fatal crash in Shirley — after he reportedly failed to show up for a court appearance on prior Nassau County charges.

According to Suffolk County Police, the fatal crash took place at 4 a.m. Sunday in the northbound lane of William Floyd Parkway, just south of Rose Executive Boulevard in Shirley. Randolph was driving a 2014 Cadillac northbound on William Floyd Parkway when his vehicle rear-ended a 2015 Ford just south of Rose Executive Boulevard; the driver of the Ford, Jonathan Armand Flores-Maldonado, 27, of Westhampton Beach was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

On Monday, Randolph was released on his own recognizance, online court documents indicated. According to a report by News 12, prosecutors said in court that Randolph was arrested, charged and released on Jan. 1 for allegedly not having a court-ordered ignition interlock device in his car; he also, according to court docs, has a history of DWI with six felony convictions, and six misdemeanor convictions, the post said.

Randolph was transported to Long Island Community Hospital in East Patchogue for treatment of minor injuries, police said.

The case has been held up on social media as an example of what many deem a deeply flawed bail reform law.

Many have turned to the Facebook page, "Repeal Bail Reform," which now has 132,466 members, to express their anger. "I'm so sorry for your loss," one person wrote. "These new laws are insane."

"This is like the purge," another woman wrote. "All the criminals on the loose doing whatever they want with no consequences."

In recent days, lawmakers have also called for a repeal of the bail reform legislation, including Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon, Rep. Peter King, who called the measure "disastrous," and Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, who said Tuesday morning on "Fox & Friends:" "Now we're seeing the same thing. Those we lock up, those that are going to jail are coming out the same day."

One Nassau case illustrated why tensions are flaring over the legislation: Police say a man, released under the bail law — he had been arrested three times prior — fled officers in a stolen car and injured another driver in the process.

On Monday, relatives of Flores-Maldonado expressed their grief and outrage on social media as they raised funds to bury their son: "They say when tragedy strikes to stay strong for the family. I feel broken and weak. I feel overwhelming anger and sadness," said Flores-Maldonado's brother Mateo Mangusto Maldonado on Facebook. "He was 27 years old with so much more life to live. My selfless sweet little brother. I've never felt so hopeless. Nothing I say, do, or write will fill the void that's been created in my heart. I love you, Jonathan."

According to the News 12 report, Maldonado's family said he was pursuing a career in medicine and was driving an Uber when he died.

The bail reform law also has addiction prevention advocates calling for change of a different kind. "Bail reform as a concept makes sense from both an economic standpoint and from a social justice standpoint, but more should have been done to ensure that people with mental health conditions and substance use disorders aren't simply returned to the street, where they are likely to overdose, re-offend and/or hurt other people," said Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, president and chief executive officer of the Family and Children's Association in Mineola.

He added: "There should be a process in place to assess those folks and sweep them into treatment where warranted as a condition of release. Beyond that, judges should be given more discretion to decide who stays and who goes and under what conditions. And finally, families should be able to communicate with the court about their loved one, especially in cases where there are concerns about that person's health and safety. How many families breathe a sigh of relief when a mentally ill or addicted loved one is finally arrested and kept in a safe, secure place? That place shouldn't have to be jail, but an arrest can create a path to treatment and recovery that is life-changing and life-saving."

To that end, Senator Anna M. Kaplan, D-Great Neck, has introduced new legislation to establish a process for those accused of non-bailable offenses to undergo pre-trial mental health and substance abuse evaluations as a condition of release, he said.