A Brooklyn judge has released Franz Jeudy, the suspect accused of assaulting a 57-year-old mother-of-three and breaking her jaw, despite prosecutors upgrading the assault charge to a felony. The incident occurred on March 24 in Crown Heights, when Jeudy allegedly sucker punched bus aide Dulche Pichardo, leaving her with fractures on both sides of her face and knocking out several teeth.
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office requested $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond on the upgraded charges, which included second-degree assault, a bail eligible offense. However, Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew Sciarrino denied the request and allowed Jeudy to remain on supervised release. Jeudy had been indicted on charges more than a month after the attack took place.
Pichardo, after being assaulted, sought refuge in her brother’s nearby restaurant and identified Jeudy as the alleged attacker. Her brother chased down Jeudy for several blocks and held onto him until the police arrived. District Attorney Eric Gonzalez condemned the random attack, stating that such acts against strangers, especially women, are senseless and unacceptable.
Initially, Jeudy was charged with misdemeanor assault, which was not bail eligible. However, the charges were upgraded to a felony after a review of the evidence and the extent of Pichardo’s injuries. If convicted, Jeudy could face up to seven years in jail. In addition to the felony assault charge, he is also facing second-degree assault, third-degree assault, and related counts.
Jeudy has a history of similar incidents, including two other random punches in 2018 and 2019, one on a law enforcement officer and the other on a security guard. However, those misdemeanor assault charges were dismissed as Jeudy was found unfit to stand trial due to his apparent history of schizophrenia, according to Manhattan prosecutors.
The decision by Judge Sciarrino to release Jeudy has raised concerns, particularly in light of a previous case where he granted bail to a career criminal, Ousmane Diallo, who later allegedly wounded two individuals in a shooting. Diallo had been freed on $500,000 bond.
Jeudy’s next court date is scheduled for July 2 in Brooklyn. The Office of Court Administration declined to comment on Judge Sciarrino’s decision.
1 Response
It is disheartening to hear about cases like this where a suspect accused of a violent crime is released, especially when the charge is upgraded to a felony. One potential solution to address this issue is to implement a more comprehensive risk assessment system during the bail hearing process.
Instead of solely relying on the severity of the charges, judges could consider a range of factors such as the suspect’s criminal history, flight risk, and potential danger to the community. This would provide a more holistic view of the individual