A group of local ministers are calling for an investigation into State Supreme Court Justice Francis Affronti - for raising the bail for a pregnant woman whose videotaped arrest went viral.
Earlier this week, 21-year old Brenda Hardaway pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting Rochester police officer Lucas Krull, after interfering with her brother’s arrest. Judge Affronti more than tripled Hardaway's bail, increasing it from $7,500 to $25,000.
"He does not possess the judicial temperament to be fair and to be impartial," says Rev. Lewis Stewart, of the United Christian Leadership Ministry. "He has already determined beforehand Ms. Hardaway’s guilt."
Stewart says they are filing a complaint against Judge Affronti, starting a petition drive - demanding the Department of Justice to look into the possible violation of Hardaway's civil rights as well as asking City Council to investigate the incident with Officer Krull.
Stewart says their plans of action are imminent, and public demonstrations are forthcoming.
"We would like to see, in this case, that she'd be released,' Stewart says. "An apology from the police department, more training, relative to police, and the police stop acting like thugs in the black community. That's what we want to see."
Rev. Stewart calls Affronti's handling of Hardaway's bail bordering on racism. He says that's because Affronti released a Greece police officer, who was high on cocaine and drunk, without bail. That's after the officer slammed into the back of a pregnant woman's car on the expressway - causing her to go into labor early.
WXXI reached out Judge Affronti's Office for comment. They said he doesn't respond to situations like this. A call was also put into the Rochester Police Department, which had not responded yet as of late Friday afternoon.