The judge who left a career criminal free to slash
What was Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Laurie Peterson thinking when she ignored every warning possible to set Kari Bazemore free without bail?
Amanda Morris doubtless wants to know: She’s the 24-year-old whose face was slashed, allegedly by the same man Peterson had turned loose just days earlier.
Despite all the red flags waving in the judge’s face.
Bazemore is a career criminal, with 31 arrests dating back to 1979. When he appeared before the judge on New Year’s Eve, he faced charges of having slugged a woman walking with her husband.
As The Post reported Friday, the New York Criminal Justice Agency — which evaluates all defendants before arraignment — classified Bazemore a “high risk” for flight. Indeed, he had failed to show up for court dates before.
With a negative-6 rating, the agency classified him as “not recommended” to be let loose on his own recognizance.
The prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Ashley Foote, asked for just $1,000 bail.
But Judge Peterson, a former supervising attorney for Legal Aid, was more persuaded by Bazemore’s lawyer’s claim that the suspect was an “artist” with strong community ties.
In fact, his family now says he’s mentally ill and off his meds.
Some 24 hours later, police say, Bazemore attacked Amanda Morris with a boxcutter. She needed seven stitches to close the wound. He’s now suspected in at least five more attacks since September.
Yes, bail decisions can look easier in hindsight. But a defendant’s rights must be balanced with society’s: Experts called Bazemore a risk; the judge decided otherwise.
Let Judge Peterson explain that to Amanda Morris.
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