Performing Supreme Courtroom Justice Stephen Antignani, after initially holding teen robber Hunter Robinson in jail, modified course and granted him a $75,000 bail.
Steven Hirsch
The Manhattan decide who saved an alleged teen robber behind bars — telling him New York Metropolis was “sick” and drained of violent youths — had a change of coronary heart Wednesday and granted him $75,000 bail.
Performing Supreme Courtroom Justice Stephen Antignani instructed Hunter Robinson, 16, that it wasn’t “truthful” that he’d turn into the “poster little one” for the town’s crime disaster.
“This case has turn into the poster little one for all of the ills which have come to our metropolis — and that’s not truthful to you,” Antignani instructed the teenager through the bail listening to in Manhattan Supreme Courtroom.
“None of us ought to be judged on the worst second of our life.”
Robinson, who has been locked up for practically two weeks on prices he took half in a gunpoint theft of a 15-year-old boy, was additionally assaulted in juvie, the decide stated.
“It didn’t really feel good, proper?” the decide requested him.
Antignani made headlines for his robust stance on Robinson and different children allegedly concerned in gun crimes. Final week, he refused to spring the teenager from lockup, whereas lecturing him, “We’re drained. New York Metropolis is drained” in an obvious reference to the pattern in teen violence.
“You need to allegedly take part in incidents like this that dehumanize one other human being? For what? In case you did it, for what?” Antignani railed.
The tirade got here after Robinson’s protection lawyer had requested Antignani to rethink one other decide’s determination to ship the teenager to a juvenile detention middle at his Feb. 12 arraignment.
However the no-nonsense jurist had stated there was no new data on the time that may make him stroll again his colleague’s ruling.
“There’s nothing good about jail. It’s not good in there,” Antignani had warned Robinson, whereas noting the teenager’s lack of freedom on the Crossroads Juvenile Middle.
At a listening to about Robinson’s indictment the subsequent day, the decide once more rebuffed requests to set bail from each protection attorneys and prosecutors.
“I make the willpower,” he had instructed Assistant District Legal professional Edward Smith. “Not you. Not the DA’s workplace. I do.”
Antignani, nonetheless, struck a distinct tune Wednesday after reviewing letters from Robinson’s principal and lecturers at Success Academy exhibiting his “large restoration by way of his tutorial success.”
One of many teen’s lecturers described him as a “charismatic chief” with a “massive coronary heart and a whole lot of compassion for different friends who're struggling.” One other trainer stated Robinson was an “tutorial celebrity.”
Protection attorneys submitted the letters whereas requesting bail within the case.
They and prosecutors have beforehand famous Robinson’s lack of legal historical past, good college report and that he isn’t accused of really brandishing one of many firearms used within the Jan. 6 theft.
Nonetheless, Antignani instructed the tenth grader: “It bothers me to my core, from somebody who's pretty much as good as you, primarily based on these papers … may’ve participated in an act so merciless.”
Prosecutors allege that Robinson was a part of a violent group who lured a fellow pupil right into a stairwell to rob him of his pockets, cellphone, coat and footwear. One in every of them pointed a gun within the sufferer’s face, and one other brandished a gun and struck him within the face with it.
His co-defendants embody a pair of brothers additionally accused of firing gunshots that hit an NYPD cop.
If Robinson makes the $75,000 money bail, $75,000 insurance coverage firm bond or $75,000 partially secured bond with 6 p.c, he can have a 6 p.m. curfew.
The teenager has his Supreme Courtroom arraignment on the indictment set for March 11.
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