A District of Columbia judge who let an 18-year-old shooter go out on bail earlier this month was found to be engaging in progressive activism on social media.
Lloyd U. Nolan, Jr., who serves in the D.C. Superior Court as a magistrate judge, released Amonte Moody and put him under house arrest despite vehement opposition from prosecutors, according to reporting from Fox News and WUSA-TV.
The accused, a black male, allegedly opened fire from an AR-15 at 2:19 a.m. on April 22 near the intersection of 17th Street and Independence Avenue, SE, according to WUSA.
Footage of the incident was recorded by at least three security cameras, court documents said, according to the news station.
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Social media posts by Nolan, reviewed by Fox News, showed that the magistrate has proudly described himself as “woke” and promoted posts supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
Nolan also posted about giving to a fundraiser by Gideon’s Promise, a non-profit founded by George Soros-linked professor Jonathan Rapping, Fox News reported.
Rapping founded the organization in 2007 and received a fellowship from Soros’ Open Society Foundation, according to the outlet.
Gideon’s Promise trains public defenders across the US, offering programs to help public defenders provide quality legal representation to those lacking the means to afford attorneys.
Should suspects of violent crimes be eligible for release?
A Ring doorbell video seen by WJLA-TV showed Moody firing toward an alleyway fence before sprinting down a street and firing upon a vehicle departing from the area.
Moody had allegedly opened fire 26 times at a car with four people onboard, court documents stated, according to the news station. It did not appear anyone in the car was firing back, and it does not appear as if any injuries have been reported.
When police responded to reports of the shooting, they found 26 shell casings on the road.
Authorities also located a disassembled AR-15 stowed away in the ceiling of Moody’s home, WJLA reported.
Consequently, according to the news station, the teenager was slapped with charges of endangerment with a firearm, possession of a weapon, and assault.
However, on May 3, Nolan determined that Moody was safe to be released and let the accused remain under house arrest in Maryland with a GPS monitor, according to Fox News and WJLA.
An emergency order has been filed by the U.S. Attorney for D.C.’s office in order to overturn the magistrate judge’s judgment to grant the accused pre-trial release.
The hearing for the emergency order will occur on May 22, according to Fox News.
“Despite the egregiousness of this conduct, the strength of the case, including video evidence depicting it and two identifications of the defendant as the shooter, and the statutory presumption in favor of detention pending trial, the Magistrate Judge released the defendant,” prosecutors said, according to Fox News.
Nolan has not responded to Fox News’ requests for comment. He has also reportedly set his Facebook profile to private after being confronted by the news outlet about his activism.
