It is safe to say that Charleston officials have been bamboozled by a body of unelected bureaucrats and their strong effort to unwind cash bail in and around the Lowcountry. And since it has launched, the health of our city has vastly deteriorated with an outpouring of rabid criminals of all breeds into our streets, keeping pace with some of America's most crime-dense cities and regions.
Nothing has changed this time around, as 55-year-old Joseph R. Blake Jr., was systematically released on personal recognizance bond twice in only two months. It all began on a star-studded night last November when he took a trip to the clink for supposedly finessing a bicycle. But it more than likely happened when we trace back to 2017 when he received a conviction for the same crime. This shouldn't 'knock your socks off' because of the stream of amnesty pouring out of Charleston's several magistrate courts.
Decisions like these are typically made quickly, while the community is doused in kerosene and lit afire with nothing to dampen the flames. But this has become the norm in a city which provides it with as much scrutiny as strolling down King Street on Sunday afternoon. It really is tragic, but lawmakers have become swaddled in the massive -- yet ineffective -- blanket of social justice.
Joseph Blake's Storied Criminal Past
Joseph Blake has drowned in a lake of crime, tacking on charges from burglary to the tabloid-magnet grand theft auto (cue the fanfare!). In top-to-bottom fashion, Mr. Blake has been tagged with 18 convictions between writing a bad check and financial card theft; 7 convictions from burglary to simple larceny; and 4 convictions for stealing or breaking into a motor vehicle. All of the above charges are a bad look, but nothing falls from grace harder than the chest of burglary crimes buried beneath his floorboards.
The hands of law enforcement have been effectively tied with Mr. Blake's reentry into society. Officers scramble daily to protect community members from similar bad actors, only to be met with curveballs from a corrupted court system. This is bad for business, and has the rest of us ogling at the possibility of our downfall. But our closely knit family of heroics and patriots has proven to be an effective force beyond the ballot box -- they lead us out of harm's way and into the comforting arms of peace and safety.
Join us in Vanquishing the Three-Headed Monster of Bail Reform
Most of what we write has transformed into monthly newsletters, and has become the norm to most readers and a gut punch for the rest. But all who break bread with us share a coronary bond that honors the rule of law and is never phased by tacit reform efforts as they try to sweep us off our feet. We are a minority -- a mighty one at that -- and we won't go down without a fight. Will you help us solve the problems plaguing our justice system with fairness and equity within our reach? Take the first step by filling out the form below to let lawmakers know you have had enough.