Wannabe Assassin RELEASED After Attacking Republican Candidate!
(TheRedWire.com) – David Jakubonis, 43, of Fairport, New York, attacked Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) with a sharp object last week at a campaign event before crowd members tackled him to the ground and restrained him until police officers arrived on the scene. Zeldin, who is running against incumbent Democratic Governor Katie Hochul in November, predicted the courts would release his assailant with no bail — and he was right. Authorities cut the accused man loose without any way to ensure he’ll show up in court.
Witnesses told local NBC affiliate News 10 that Jakubonis appeared intoxicated and disheveled. They also said he shouted at the congressman as Zeldin delivered a campaign speech.
After yelling, “you’re done,” Jakubonis approached the lawmaker with a sharp object. Zeldin grabbed his arm long enough for onlookers, including the candidate for lieutenant governor, Allison Esposito, to take him down and hold him for police.
Man Who Tried to Assassinate GOP Governor Candidate Lee Zeldin was Released Without Bail via #nationalfile https://t.co/hB1a63LKHD
— Brian Hamel (@hamel1776) July 24, 2022
Predictably, the assailant’s release came quickly and minus a dime in bail. Attempted assault in the second degree is a class E felony in New York, and typically, in most states, felonies come with bonds to ensure defendants return for court dates. In New York, however, bail levies depend on the charges and whether violence played a role.
In this case, because the charge is “attempted” assault, the court doesn’t recognize it as a violent offense. Under current laws, judges have no recourse but to release first-time offenders without bail.
What do you think? Should someone brazen enough to do something like allegedly publicly attacking a political candidate go free?
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