SWEDEN, N.Y. – A change to bail reform allowed a judge in the Sweden Town Court to set bail for crimes that don’t normally qualify, in a case involving a serial shoplifter who sparked a manhunt in late July after the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says the man stole from stores near Brockport.
When Chris Cole, a Marine Corp veteran with a rap sheet of stealing 16 times, was arraigned after the manhunt arrest he was released. But when he returned to the Town of Sweden Court Wednesday, Judge Robert Connors used a change to bail reform called “harm in harm” to get bail against him. (The change is also listed as “harm and harm” and “harm on harm.”)
Cole is charged with five larcenies and also has pending robbery and larceny charges from March. Despite non-qualifying offenses, Judge Connors set bail at $500.
“I am at that point where I’ve declared he is harm on harm,” Judge Connors said. “The allegations, the people have met their burden.”
Cole’s attorney objected saying the harm issue could only be used at the first court hearing and that Cole has shown up at every court date.
“As I noted earlier my client has appeared not once, but twice. He has appeared yet again,” Cole’s attorney said in court. “Again I would note my client’s house burned down your honor. He’s already indigent. And so any bail in any amount would pose an undue hardship.”
Cole decided to talk to us when he left the court building.
Chris Cole: “I think Judge Connors is more than fair. I mean I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I mean drugs (expletive) your life up. Excuse my language.”
Cole says he spent 24 years in the Marine Corps.
Chris Cole: “I’m in a VA program. I’m trying to get my life together. Trying to do the right thing. And I’m struggling.”
In court, Cole told the judge his house just burned down, his dog was in his car, he has COVID and he was desperate. So the judge let him go to deal with his house and dog, but he has to surrender back in one week. The bail stays at $500.
The harm in harm change to bail reform has been around for a few years but this is the first time News10NBC has seen it enforced. The New York State Court System tracks how often harm in harm is used to set bail against people whose charges don’t qualify for bail.
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News10NBC Investigates: Judge uses ‘harm in harm’ bail reform change to set $500 bail for Marine veteran accused of shoplifting WHEC.com.
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