Teresa Stokes, the last judge to release Decarlos Brown Jr. (a homeless, violent schizophrenic with a lengthy criminal rap sheet) earlier this year, is a woman of many hats. Not only is she an activist judge who makes decisions based on a progressive perspective of criminality, uses her gavel to mete out “reparative” and “equitable” justice—as evidenced by the no-cash bail release for a perp like Decarlos in January—but she’s also apparently the Director of Operations for a mental health and addiction clinic in her very own community.

Teresa Stokes needs to be investigated.

Did Decarlos Brown Jr. ever spend time in Second Chances?

Has Stokes ever ordered a defendant to complete therapy at Second Chances?

How much of the clientele is at Second Chances because they’re court-mandated to be there?

How much money is Second Chances making off of taxpayers?

These are questions to which I’d like an answer.

Now, Stokes is reportedly just one of at least several judges who decided Decarlos Brown Jr. was entitled to roam free, despite at least fourteen arrests and a number of violent convictions, and I can only deduce it’s because of his skin color. Where else can an individual with such a criminal record get out on no-cash bail and “written promises” to appear at future court dates?

I’m wondering if these judges perhaps need a refresher on what corruption has meant in the past. In Book V of Herodotus’s Histories, the reader is introduced to the story of Sisamnes:

[H]e [Darius] made Otanes governor of the people on the sea-coast. Otanes’ father Sisamnes had been one of the royal judges; Cambyses had cut his throat and flayed off all his skin because he had been bribed to give an unjust judgment; and he had then cut leather strips of the skin which had been torn away and covered therewith the seat whereon Sisamnes had sat to give judgment; which having done, Cambyses appointed the son of this slain and flayed Sisamnes to be judge in his place, admonishing him to remember what was the judgment-seat whereon he sat. 

Sisamnes took a bribe—exchanging justice for personal gain—but is that really any different than what these progressive, lawless judges are doing when they reject justice in favor of personal agendas? I don’t think so.

Yes, we’re (ostensibly) a nation of “innocent until proven guilty,” but this is just an exploitation of it. Where was this same approach when Daniel Penny faced charges and a jury? George Zimmerman? Darren Wilson? Derek Chauvin? Countless others?

Too bad Daniel Penny wasn’t there in Charlotte—Iryna would probably be alive today.

Image from Pixabay.