The City That Never Sleeps Is In For A Rude Awakening

They compose songs about the place “I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps,” and “The neon signs are bright on Broadway, there’s magic in the air,” are but a couple of tunes that pay tribute to “little old New York.”

As far back as the Revolutionary War for Independence, New York was the first capital of the thirteen original colonies, a strategic location and port, and played a major, if not pivotal role throughout the war. The father of this nation and first president, George Washington, was inaugurated and took the oath of office at Federal Hall at Wall and Broad Streets, and resided for a time at Cherry Street in southern Manhattan.

The Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Freedom Tower, the former World Trade Centers, Times Square, the crossroads of the world, New York Stock Exchange, Madison Avenue, libraries, museums - throughout its storied history till today, New York City has been a dominant force in business, commerce, the arts, and music. And yet after 240 years, all of this could be made undone and fade into the mist of time and history by a bunch of reckless activist Democrats with a radical progressive agenda.

In a previous article that appeared around November of last year, I wrote about a new criminal justice law, specifically dealing with bail reform, and that would take effect in New York State/City on January 01, 2020. It arrived on time, and with a big bang. The repercussions of this disaster were felt almost immediately after initiated.

Case in point is Eugene Webb, a 26-year-old African-American, and who is recognized as a hostile panhandler and violent drug-addicted menace living on the streets of the city. Mr. Webb, since the law took effect, has physically assaulted three women, in separate incidents, and was released without bail. The last judge to hear Webb’s case cited the new controversial bail reform law for his decision to release the suspect; even an appeal by the prosecutor’s office that bail be administered for this repeat offender could not stand up to the new law.

It was also determined that Webb was the culprit in a violent attack on another woman in September of last year. He was arrested, charged, released, but failed to report for his next court appearance. In each of the incidents, the helpless women were knocked to the ground and pummeled with fists and kicked. One woman had one of her front teeth knocked out. In his last court appearance on Friday, January 10, this punk was seen giggling while walking away again a free man.

Law enforcement's hands are tied, police are performing their assigned duties, making arrests, but they too are at the mercy of this monumental disaster, which has manifested into an extreme version of turnstile justice. Police just recently arrested Webb, but again, for causing a ruckus; they found a glass pipe in his possession that he admitted using for synthetic marijuana. One officer commented, “He is causing havoc and putting everyone's lives in danger.”

Webb was incarcerated in a holding cell awaiting arraignment on new charges of reckless endangerment, obstruction of government administration, and drug possession. The new bail standards are expected to eliminate cash bail in approximately 90% of arrests.

The danger and absurdity of this fiasco knows no bounds. In another outrageous defiance of the rule of law, meet Gerod Woodbury, 42 years old and a bank robber. On January 08, Woodbury was arrested for a string of bank robberies. The following day January 09, he was released without bail on his own recognizance. On Friday, January 10 he became a “person of interest” in another bank robbery at a Chase Bank. Woodbury was arrested again for robbery in the third degree and grand larceny, non-violent felonies, and released again without bail.

One police source commented that he, Woodbury “was laughing all the way to the bank.” Woodbury was jovial and was quoted as saying “I can’t believe they keep letting me out, what were they thinking.” Former NYPD Police Commissioner Bill Bratton in a recent interview said: “This is total capitulation to the criminal defense lawyers, the Legal Aid Society, and progressive legislators.” These same progressive legislators are refusing to heed the call of law enforcement and outraged citizens to make changes to the law. It was just reported Woodbury is accused of six bank robberies since December 30 and released on five occasions.

The Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue is quoted as saying “While we must ensure that all criminal justice systems are open to scrutiny and reform, we must also guard against the outright dismantling of criminal justice systems masquerading as criminal justice reform.”

Police resources are being wasted, more people will be victimized, and it’s only a matter of time until someone is seriously injured or killed.