Rollins defends allowing bail for McClinton, slams Mass. Bail Fund again
District Attorney Rachael Rollins continued her broadside against the Mass. Bail Fund on Tuesday, defending the fact that she hadn’t sought to hold a rape suspect without bail — and saying that’s no excuse for the left-wing fund to put up money to free him.
“What I find interesting about the Bail Fund’s recent behavior of posting higher bails for violent serious crimes — like the alleged rape recently committed by a convicted sex offender and rapist — is that any incentive for good behavior by the alleged offender is removed,” Rollins said in a statement.
“The Bail Fund isn’t a friend or family member of the accused. There is no discussion on the ride home of ‘what the hell are you doing?’ or ‘what in the world have you done?’” Rollins added.
This comes after Shawn McClinton, a twice-convicted rapist in jail on charges of another 2018 rape, was bailed out by the Mass. Bail Fund, which put up the $15,000 for him in mid-July. McClinton was then charged with kidnapping and rape last week after being freed, and he now is back in jail after his bail was revoked.
The bail fund has remained totally mum since McClinton’s arraignment last week, ignoring requests for comment and not posting anything on social media. The group, whose slogan is “Free them all,” again didn’t respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Some left-wing fans of the fund continued to defend the group online and slam Rollins, saying that if McClinton was really considered dangerous, he shouldn’t have been able to put up money to get out in the first place.
On Tuesday, Boston Area Rape Crisis Center Executive Director Gina Scaramella slammed the DA for allowing bail at all.
“The reported 2018 crime that this defendant is awaiting trial is rape at knifepoint. With two prior convictions for rape, and a new charge of violent rape, it is unfathomable that this defendant was eligible for bail in the first place. Rape is a serious, violent crime and should be treated as such,” Scaramella said in a statement.
But she also took issue with the fund, saying, “By posting bail for the defendant without regard to the charges he was facing, and his prior convictions for similar behavior, the Massachusetts Bail Fund showed an incomprehensible disregard for public safety.”
Rollins, in the statement, noted that holding someone without bail requires a dangerousness hearing, which requires some evidence to be presented and can require testimony. The DA said her office avoided holding one so the victim wouldn’t have to go through it.
“The decision to request bail or move for dangerousness is one of many that requires a careful consideration of what best serves the victim. And to be clear, the alleged rapist isn’t the victim in the case. The person raped is,” Rollins said in the statement.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/30LS9N2
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