Pedro Hernandez became the “poster child” for bail reform some time ago. That, after he refused to accept a no-jail deal in 2017. Hernandez, of course, famously spent a year on Rikers Island prior to being bailed out by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights group, a nonprofit. His case was eventually dropped, indicating that he made a good decision and that the RFK Human Rights organization had bailed out one of the good guys.
But the story turns a bit sour from there. Last week, Hernandez was set to attend the RFK Foundation’s Manhattan gala, where he was to get a chance to meet former President Obama. Quite a turn of events for a young man who had been in jail less than two years prior. And certainly a feel-good story.
But Hernandez missed the event, and the reasons are a bit surprising. You see, Hernandez was arrested before the event…for the 13th time. This time around, it was for driving a BMW with stolen plates and with a suspended driver’s license. So, is Hernandez a murderer? We don’t know for sure, but probably not (for now anyway). Is he a productive member of society who is making positive contributions to his community? Also probably not.
Producing a quote that seems almost too funny to be uttered seriously, Hernandez’s lawyer noted:
It is unfortunate and unfair that over a petty offense Pedro is forced to spend more time behind bars instead of attending the Kennedy event tonight, where he would have had the opportunity to spend time with President Obama.
Word of advice for Hernandez – stop doing illegal things…at least on days you’re scheduled to meet a former president. Of course, the whole thing with the stolen tags and expired license may just be a series of unfortunate oversights and events. But, once you’ve been arrested 13 times, the evidence seems to clearly indicate a pattern of some sort.
In related news, Hernandez also had another case against him dropped after he told the court he had been accepted to college. The case was dropped on the condition that he enroll and complete the semester. Hernandez noted that he was considering either Babson College in Massachusetts or a CUNY school. Either way, we’re sure both of these institutions of higher learning will be happy and proud to count such a fine young man as Hernandez among their students.