The Manhattan judge who released Johnson Earle, a career criminal accused of punching an elderly man, declined to answer questions about her sentence when visited by The Post on Saturday.
“No, you can't come to my house,” Beverly Tatham said in response to a reporter who identified herself, and then quickly closed the door of her Brownsville home.
The reverse judge likely granted 44-year-old Earl supervised release despite facing second-degree assault charges for allegedly assaulting an 83-year-old man on a train in lower Manhattan. I guess he didn't want to defend himself. Monday, according to police.
Police said the horrific attack happened on Dec. 20, when the senior accidentally tripped over Earle's foot as the southbound No. 5 train approached the Fulton Street station.
In a fit of rage, Earle appeared to hit the elderly man in the face with a sock, sparking a scuffle that ended with the attacker choking the victim and continuing to punch him, according to Earle's charges on Jan. 2. An assistant district attorney stated this in his approval.
Police said the man suffered cuts to his face and head in the assault and was later taken to Kings County Hospital Center for treatment.
Despite a petition from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to set Earl's bail at $75,000 cash or $100,000 bail and a lengthy rap sheet that included 13 prior arrests, Taysom They chose to release Earl onto the street.
Earle was arrested in July for repeatedly punching a security guard at a 99 Cent store in the Bronx, claiming he became enraged and asked, “Why aren't you responding to me?” according to a criminal complaint. During the beatdown.
He was ordered to stay away from the victim, but the case was later postponed with consideration for termination, according to Bronx prosecutors.
The career criminal has been arrested at least four other times on assault charges dating back to 1999, police officials said.
He has been arrested in the past for weapons possession and marijuana possession.
Earle is next scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 27, records show.
