Judges are supposed to be impartial and make fair decisions.
Sometimes they can go off the reservation.
And a Florida judge issued one awful ruling in a criminal case that left a courtroom outraged.
Florida teenager released on bond after allegedly stabbing boyfriend to death
Jahara Malik, a 17-year-old from Miami, Florida is accused of stabbing her 17-year-old boyfriend Yahkeim Lollar in the chest outside of his apartment complex.
Malik told police she engaged in “horseplay” with Lollar before she fatally stabbed him.
There was no explanation of how that escalated to a stabbing.
Lollar was a junior at Miami Northwestern High School where he played football and dreamed of a career in finance.
He was taken to a local hospital where he died of his wounds.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office initially ruled that Lollar’s death was a homicide.
Mailk was arrested and taken to a juvenile detention facility before she was charged as an adult for manslaughter.
Judge Stacy D. Glick, from the 11th Circuit Court, released Malik on a $50,000 bond and required that she wear an ankle bracelet while she awaits trial.
Glick argued that Malik was not a flight risk.
“The purpose of bond, as we all know, is to assure that the person will appear in court. She didn’t leave the scene after she just stabbed somebody, and that person died,” Glick claimed.
The judge pointed out that Malik called 911 after the stabbing and cooperated with the police.
Victim’s family outraged after killer released on bond
Malik’s attorney Larry Handfield argued his client should be tried in juvenile court.
“She turned herself in she tried to render first aid,” Handfield said. “She cooperated fully.”
“It should have remained in juvenile,” Handfield added. “However, the law allows the state of Florida allows you to direct file. Which means you take juveniles as young as 14, 15, 16 and you try them as an adult.”
Over 40 of Lollar’s family and friends attended the hearing where Malik was released on bond.
They were outraged at the judge’s decision.
“I think a monitor is a slap in the face, she should be in jail. There are people in jail for less. People in jail for trespassing. Jaywalking,” Nathalie Jean, Lollar’s mother, told NBC Miami.
“His life was taken away for no reason at 17, and we all know he had a bright future ahead of him,” Jean added.
Lollar’s family is frustrated at the slow pace of justice.
“By somebody just playing, they took my boy’s life. That’s what they said. They was playing,” Darveed Lollar, his father, said.
“They couldn’t find something to charge her with the night of when there was no question as to what happened or who done this, so I mean it’s, right now, it’s a little bittersweet,” Lollar continued.
Malik’s attorney is going to argue that Lollar’s death was not an intentional act.
“The justice system failed our son today, and we are going to keep fighting. We are not going to stop fighting,” Lollar’s family said in a statement.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
