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Chris Christie ‘Welcomes’ Lawsuit From Bounty Hunter
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Despite TV personality “Dog The Bounty Hunter” joining a lawsuit against New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the embattled governor claimed Wednesday that he is not afraid of the repercussions.
The state’s bail law has received a slew of criticism since it took effect in January, but Republican Gov. Christie said he welcomes the push-back, local radio station New Jersey 101.5 reported Wednesday. The bail reform legislation essentially eliminated money bail and releases defendants before trial based on a risk assessment tool to avoid imprisoning people that simply can’t afford bail costs.
“I welcome the lawsuit. I welcome the opportunity to have this argument because I believe that people should not be in jail because they’re poor,” Christie told reporters. “Being poor is not a crime.”
Duane “Dog” Chapman and his wife, Beth, joined the lawsuit Monday, claiming that the state’s risk assessment tool is “faulty” and releases dangerous offenders back to the streets before their trials. The lawsuit centers on the April murder of Christian Rodgers by an offender who had just been deemed safe for release by the state’s risk assessment despite being arrested on felony gun charges.
“The bill doesn’t take account of what you’re being charged with, the seriousness of other crimes,” Beth Chapman told the radio station. “It will not take into consideration your violent history. They don’t want to let the judge have discretion.”
Christie remains a staunch defender of the legislation, however, standing by the system that only jails one in seven defendants before trial.
“Are there going to be times when people who get out of jail prior to trial commit other crimes? Yes,” Christie said. “But is that a justification for mandating that every person stay in jail? I say no.”
Chapman’s lawsuit is one of several that have been filed against the bail legislation. A Maryland bail-bond company turned an April bar fight between two football fans into a lawsuit. One of the men was released by the assessment tool wearing an ankle tracker with instructions not to leave his home. The lawsuit claimed this violated his constitutional right to bail by not giving him the chance to pay for release.
“Your legacy will forever be stained by the blood of June Rodgers’ son,” Beth Chapman told Christie. “May God have mercy on you and may common decency convict you to do the right thing, but as we all know, you won’t do the right thing.”
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