By:  Ilana Siyance

Another repeat criminal has been released without bail to roam free in the streets of New York City.

As reported by the NY Post, Nathaniel Turner was released without bail by Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Paul McDonnell.  Turner, 55, allegedly punched a police officer and tried to bite another.  The prosecutor had requested $20,000 bail, based on his having been placed on lifetime parole in December, for robbery.  Instead Judge McDonnell gave Turner a supervised release, and sources for the Post said he was allegedly spotted on West 36th Street on Wednesday afternoon getting ready to smoke crack.  Turner was arraigned on charges of felony assault to a police officer, attempted assault and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Turner had punched an officer who had been chasing him, leaving the cop in the hospital for swelling and bruising.  He also tried to bite another cop whom he was running from, but the cop used a Taser to subdue him. Back in 2019, Turner, a resident of the Bellevue Men’s Shelter, had also been arrested for allegedly assaulting a cop on the roof of a NYCHA building. “Defendant also has an extensive criminal history, including four violent felony convictions, one nonviolent felony conviction, six misdemeanor convictions, two failures to appear, an escape charge, a probation revocation, and three parole revocations,” prosecutor Nicole Hoehle said.

Judge McDonnell, who was appointed by former Mayor Bill de Blasio, also let another recidivist walk free last week.  As per the Post, serial shoplifter Jessica Poole was cut loose on supervised release with no bail, after she was charged with 37 criminal offenses—including petty larceny,  criminal possession of stolen property and criminal possession of a controlled substance.  Prosecutors had requested $10,000 bail, as per Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s Office.

This month another no bail release was set for paroled, convicted Bronx sex offender Bui Van Phu, who was charged with violently sucker punching a 52-year-old victim.  In that case, Gov. Kathy Hochul had intervened to have him brought back into custody the day after his release.

PBA President Patrick Lynch slammed Turner’s ruling saying the parole system is “broken” — and “judges like this refuse to protect the public.”  “All we have are two revolving doors – one putting violent criminals back on the streets, and another putting cops and innocent victims in the hospital. It has to change,” Lynch said.  Other law enforcement sources were similarly dismayed by the case.  “Someone has to die now before anyone spends a night in jail,” one source who wished to remain anonymous fumed.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.  “Our criminal justice reform laws give the arraigning judge narrow discretion and require them to consider both the least restrictive form of pretrial detention and if a monetary amount is set – that it be within the defendant’s ability to meet it,” said Lucian Chalfen, a court system spokesman.