Another chance

Humberto Romero is the alleged purse-snatcher who was caught by some brave bystanders in a store parking lot last week.

It turns out that Mr. Romero was convicted of aggravated battery in 2006 and placed on probation. But instead of staying Illinois, he went to California.

Now, he’s caught red handed and Judge Boles warns him that he could be deported if he pleads guilty (free legal advice from the bench) or if he is found guilty.

So Judge Boles sets bail at $10,000. And Immigration wants a piece of him as well because he is not a citizen.

(AFLA isn’t sure if that means he is illegal or they are interested in him because some crimes invalidate a green card.)

I’d really like to know what Judge Boles is thinking. She knows he fled before. She knows he is not a citizen. She knows he could be deported.

State’s Attorney Barsanti wanted bail set at $50,000. Judge Boles set it at $10,000.

Will someone explain to the judge why this low bail for a significant flight risk is nothing more than giving him a head start to leave the area? It’s like paying $1,000 for a get-out-of-jail-free card. (Or explain to us why it isn't.)

Ask around. You’ll soon find someone who will tell you about the guy who ran into their car, got out and peeled off $500-$1,000 to pay them off, then drove away without waiting for the police. $1,000 is NOTHING to dope dealers and thieves.

Now, the woman got her purse back and her scrapes and bruises will heal. But the mental trauma never goes away.

I’ll tell you a story about a fellow from Jamaica. Hamilton was arrested in 2002 for aggravated vehicular hijacking and was sentenced to 7 years in prison after pleading guilty. He was paroled in 2005. Records show he also had been convicted of possession of cannabis and retail theft. And he was behind in his child support and had been the subject of an order of protection.

All of these crimes should have brought the wrath of Immigration upon him. He should have been deported before he ever even met Brenetta Beck. But he wasn’t. Now Beck is dead and Hezekiah Hamilton is being tried for her murder.

Sometimes failure to detain and deport illegals results in much more than a purse-snatching. AFLA thinks bail ought to reflect the flight risk, unless the judge is an open-borders advocate.

By the way, Humberto Romero made bail. He’s on the loose somewhere.

Clarification: It turns out that Humberto is in the Kane County Jail. The bail was set at $100,000. The figure quoted in the paper is 10%. Whatever it takes to keep him. Let's hope ICE can keep track of him.