Houston Police Officers’ Union president sounds off on zero-dollar bail
Joe Gamaldi says he's not surprised by a study out of Yolo County, California, that found 70% of defendants released for free between 2020 and 2021 reoffended and were twice as likely to commit a new crime.
A South Carolina sheriff slammed the revolving door of suspects let out of jail on bond only to reoffend, comparing it to an episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" where criminals win bail bonds instead of expensive gifts.
"There was an episode of ‘Oprah’ where she points at audience members enthusiastically one by one, and states, ‘You get a car! You get a car! Everybody gets a car!’" Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said in a post on the office’s Facebook page.
"To paraphrase that, it’s ‘You get a bond, you get a bond! Everybody – no matter how violent – gets a bond.’"
Ravenell was reacting to the release of 38-year-old Devon Jamison, who was let out of jail on a bond for a weapons violation. The suspect is now facing new charges for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and trafficking cocaine, according to the sheriff.
POLICE CITE R KELLY LYRICS AFTER HORDES OF MEN DUPED BY PHONY PROSTITUTION AD
Oprah Winfrey (Vera Anderson / WireImage / Getty / File)
The sheriff’s office said deputies were following up on a previous domestic violence case last Wednesday in the town of Eutawville when they spotted a man holding "a container with a white substance in it" and making his way toward a car on the street.
Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell (Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office)
The man quickly ducked back into the home when he saw law enforcement, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies spoke to the woman who was in the car near the home, who explained she was there to buy cocaine, authorities said.
Devon Jamison was charged with possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and trafficking cocaine. (Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office)
Additional law enforcement officers were called and executed a search warrant at the home, where they found an "M16 made to fire as semi-automatic, clear bags containing 80 grams of cocaine, and a grocery bag that contained U.S. currency."
Jamison was arrested without incident, according to the sheriff’s office.
Jamison has an arrest history dating to 2007, according to local outlet The State. He is also facing charges from a 2022 arrest, including attempted murder, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and possession of a firearm or ammunition by a person convicted of violent felony, according to court records reviewed by the outlet. His bond was set to $10,000 for the 2022 charges.
The sheriff's office found drugs, money and a weapon. (Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office)
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The suspect is scheduled to return to court on May 30, while information on a bond for the most recent charges were not immediately available, according to The State.
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