New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
New Bedford judges have been on a “no bail” roll in the past week.
On Friday, Jan. 4, 37-year-old Elizabeth Pina was arrested for seven outstanding warrants. Clearly, she is someone who doesn’t care much about authority or court decisions. She was released by the judge anyway. A few days later, on Jan 8, she was arrested for shoplifting, allegedly stealing $125 worth of items from Rite-Aid Pharmacy on 824 Purchase St. Yet again, she was released by the judge without bail despite a request by the assistant district attorney that she be held on the three open charges. Here’s someone with a long history of failing to show for court, with 18 defaults on her record, released by the judge.
23-year old Adrian Lablue, a homeless man, allegedly broke into four businesses between Dec. 18 and Jan. 5, but was released by the judge. Within hours of being released without bail by Judge Edward Sharkansky, New Bedford police report that the suspect broke into yet another business on Jan. 7.
But wait, it gets better.
On Jan. 2, New Bedford District Court Judge James McGovern found 26-year old Catherine Murphy to be a danger to public safety after her involvement in a violent kidnapping but released her anyway with an ankle bracelet and some conditions (don’t go to Wareham and avoid the victim). She is accused of helping to kidnap, beat and tie up someone for a $180 drug debt in New Bedford. The judge found her to be dangerous and knowing her partner in crime was still at large, released her with an ankle bracelet.
This is just a sample of the ridiculous no bail cases in 2019. New Bedford should change its name from ‘The Whaling City’ to ‘The No Bail City’ – we don’t hunt whales anymore, but we sure do allow criminals to walk free to victimize society over and over.
You people are extremely dramatic only cheerleading this low bail thing to further help the people who just have money in these prison and jail businesses they don’t really care about keepin the streets safe and if they did holdin people in cages like animals is not one way to stop crime in fact it makes everyone so much worse so if you people really care about recidivism then you’d treat people better and work on keeping your family and loved ones off streets and away from bad things such as drugs and gangs n jus idol time because that’s the only way you are ever going to make a change like all the media attention this low bail stuff is gettin is ridiculous esp since it’s only been this way for a year or two not even a long time and the fact that it even got so bad with all the high bail is crazy and It’s the dam law to give people fair bail it’s innovent until proven guilty and considering the sheriffs treatment of his Dartmouth jails I’d say anyone there bein housed is considered guilty under those conditions and treatment. And I bet judge sabra stepping down has to do with pressure from someone uptop cuz she was actually caring about the people and the law bein followed fairly smh God bless you people with all your evil and racist greedy ways God bless you all
It’s really unfortunate. One of those ppl that was let go may have been saved. Instead let out with no bail and now dead. Very sad.