In one more bizarre lurch into societal chaos, the New York State Legislature changed bail rules in January 2020.
There are some compelling arguments to reform the bail system but removing it entirely has proven to be disastrous. By tying judges' hands when it comes to setting bail terms - which are an excellent way to ensure that the alleged offender turns up for his or her court appearance - more truly dangerous people are arrested and instantly set free.
One excellent judge - Louis Nock - decided that in the case of evil scumbag Jordan Burnette who went on an 11-day vandalism spree targeting synagogues, these stupid "bail reforms" made no sense, so he set bail at $20,000.
Two days later, another Judge - Tara Collins - released the fine, upstanding Jew-Hater Burnette from jail on his own recognizance.
We at Messy Times are sadly sure that we've not heard the last from Mr. Burnette. We're doubting the next news about his interactions with the broader society is going to be positive. We feel for all his victims in Riverdale and the broader Jewish community who now have a much clearer sense of how much their own State Legislature doesn't care about them in the slightest.