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Is it something in the water? Why do so many judges in Massachusetts put the rights of criminals above those of the victims, enabling serial killers, rapists, child molesters and convicted heroin dealers to run wild on the streets?
This is the question that needs to be answered, especially in light of more stunning revelations about the out-of-control, rogue Moonbat Judge Timothy Feeley. According to a report in the Salem News, Feeley admitted that convicted heroin dealer, Manuel Soto-Vittini, would have been put behind bars if he was a U.S. citizen. Instead, because Soto-Vittini was an immigrant on a Green Card from the Dominican Republic, Feeley allowed him to be released on probation without spending a second in prison.
“If he was a citizen, I’d send him—I’d probably do house [correction] time—but I’d send him to the house,” Feeley said during a February hearing. “I would.”
Feeley went on to praise Soto-Vittini, calling him a family man and an entrepreneur. The Salem Superior Court judge said that, despite being arrested with over 40 small heroin bags found in his car, the notorious drug dealer had only committed a “money crime” and was trying to advance “the best interest of his family.”
Think about it: Feeley openly proclaimed that the interests of non-citizens trump those of law-abiding Americans. He is bragging that Massachusetts has a two-tiered criminal justice system—one for non-citizens and another for U.S. citizens. Had Soto-Vittini been an American, Feeley would’ve sentenced him to do time. Instead, this non-citizen was able to walk. The reason: Feeley wanted to prevent Soto-Vittini from being deported. If the drug dealer served time, then his Green Card would be automatically revoked—and he would be eventually sent back to the Dominican Republic. Massachusetts doesn’t just have sanctuary cities; it now has sanctuary courthouses.
The results are obvious—and deadly. More heroin will pour onto the streets; more citizens will die of drug overdoses; and the opioid epidemic will only get worse. Salem police suspect that Soto-Vittini is responsible for dozens of overdose deaths. He is not some misunderstood “family man,” but a merchant of death, who is peddling poison to our children and communities. This is why the Salem police, Salem prosecutors and the overwhelming majority of Salem residents want Feeley off the bench. Gov. Baker denounced Feeley’s decision as “outrageous.” State lawmakers are pushing a bill to impeach him. Even House Speaker Bob DeLeo is beginning to distance himself from Feeley. (This is the same judge who lowered the bail for John D. Williams, making it possible for him to go free and then murder Police Cpl. Eugene Cole in Maine several months ago. Williams shot Cole, stole his police cruiser and robbed a store.)
Yet, the problem is not just Feeley. Take the case of Stewart Weldon—aka the Hammer Man. A career criminal, Stewart has been in and out of prison for decades. He was convicted of raping a teenage girl at gunpoint in northern New Jersey. He has been charged and convicted countless times of assault and battery. Last October, he was charged (again) not only of assaulting a woman but resisting arrest. Weldon bit the leg of the arresting police officer. The liberal judge in the case lowered Weldon’s bail to a puny $1,000. Weldon’s mother raised the money and paid it.
The consequences have been horrific: Weldon was recently arrested (again), this time for kidnapping, repeatedly raping and beating a woman with a hammer. When the Springfield Police finally caught the Hammer Man after a car chase, the poor woman—who is now in a hospital recovering from devastating physical wounds—found inside Weldon’s vehicle told the officers that they “saved” her life. She had been abducted for a month. Another couple of days of being tortured by this sadistic psychopath, and she’d be dead. An ex-girlfriend of Weldon has come out and said he had allegedly done the same thing to her: He had repeatedly raped and bludgeoned her with a hammer. She says she ran away, and this is why she is still alive today.
It appears others weren’t so lucky. Springfield Police have found three dead bodies—all of them women—at the house Weldon lived in. The home belongs to his mother. Police refuse to say whether the Hammer Man is a serial killer. The evidence, however, overwhelmingly points in that direction. We shall soon find out. Two of the women went missing after Weldon was released on bail last year. The judge has blood on his hands.
Or take the case of Sgt. Sean Gannon. He was shot to death serving a warrant on a violent career criminal, who had more than 112 charges against him. The murderous thug, Thomas Latanowich, should never have been allowed to walk the streets. Yet, because of the irresponsible actions of another liberal judge, Gannon—a beloved family man and police officer—is dead. This is why three Massachusetts police chiefs are demanding that state leaders finally confront our corrupt and dysfunctional judicial system. One of their key recommendations: a regular review of judges.
In other words, the cops, the prosecutors, the victims and the public—all of them are demanding sweeping, real reform of Massachusetts’ judicial system. Which begs the question: Why is the state’s political and media establishment so wedded to the status quo? The answer is simple: The ossified, corrupt liberal judiciary is the linchpin of the Democrats’ one-party rule. By installing enough hacks on the bench liberals believe it shields their agenda from the control of voters. It is a massive protection racket. This is why the radical left, such as the Boston Globe, champions judicial supremacy—to the point of ferociously defending (and lying for) Feeley. If judges are held accountable, then the state’s liberal edifice will come crashing down. The Democrats’ regime will be vulnerable—and answerable—to the will of the people. Something that has not happened in decades.
The issue of our quasi-rogue judiciary has finally hit a boiling point. Judges are not God; they are not above criticism; and they are certainly not above being held accountable for their dangerous, destructive and deadly actions. For too long in Massachusetts, they have acted as liberal fascists in black robes—making outrageous decisions with impunity. Feeley is the poster child of an arrogant, unhinged, rogue judge. He must be impeached and removed from the bench.
This is why I am urging everyone to please support State Rep. Jim Lyons’ bill, HD 4822, which calls for Feeley’s impeachment. House Speaker Bob DeLeo can allow the measure to be voted on in the state legislature. Please contact DeLeo’s office by phone (617-722-2500) and demand that he support HD 4822—or at a minimum, simply allow legislators to vote on it. If it goes to the House floor, the vote would compel the Democrats to go on the record and defend Feeley—thereby defending the indefensible. Many, fearing re-election and a furious backlash, won’t. They will finally cave to public opinion. Feeley’s days will be numbered. And a powerful message will be sent: out-of-control leftist judges can no longer put our safety at risk. Victims and law-abiding citizens have rights too.
-Jeffrey T. Kuhner is host of “The Kuhner Report” on WRKO AM-680 in Boston.