NEW JERSEY JUDGE RELEASES MAN FOUND WITH $315,000 WITH SUMMONS

Gerald Flores

A state court judge in Hackensack, New Jersey allowed an alleged drug trafficker to be released, on only a summons to appear, after law enforcement found $315,000, hidden within his vehicle. Gerald Flores was charged with a money laundering offense, and though he was not a New Jersey resident, he was not placed into pretrial detention. what's wrong with this picture ?

When the courts recognize that money launderers represent a clear and present danger to the community, and that, if released, they will be continuing their crimes while on release, those individuals will not be allowed to bond out, or be released, prior to trial. They also have a risk of flight, due to the fact that they have ready access to large amounts of cash, which is the other yardstick through which we measure the risks involved in deciding whether to release an arrested individual.

If this individual is later arrested, again involved in criminal activity, while on release, we wonder what the ramifications will be for the judge who improperly released him.