A man accused of recent attacks on the streets of Manhattan was previously set to be held on bail until he could convince a judge otherwise, following a similar disturbing incident last month, according to court documents.
Demetri Marshall, 32, faces charges after allegedly attacking a 27-year-old man outside a subway station in Lower East Side. He had appeared in Bronx Criminal Court before Judge Ralph Wolf on September 15 regarding assault charges from an earlier incident in August.
Prosecutors from the Bronx requested that Marshall, who was already serving time for his previous offenses, be held on a $50,000 cash bail or $150,000 bail.
During the court proceedings, Judge Wolf indicated that he found it reasonable to set bail. “I have information before me that leads me to believe I will be released on full bail,” he noted.
Marshall responded loudly, insisting, “There’s no bail,” to which the judge acknowledged the seriousness of the situation.
After some back and forth, Marshall mentioned, “As long as we don’t get into trouble.”
Judge Wolf then called for supervised release with regular check-ins instead of bail.
However, just hours later, as he stood outside the East Broadway subway station, police say he approached and slashed another man in the face.
When officers caught up with him later, he was arrested and charged with a felony.
The victim, identified only as Fernando, required seven stitches for his injuries and expressed disbelief about how someone like Marshall could attack so easily. “He was released by a judge and could have killed me,” he said, questioning the logic of the justice system.
Marshall’s history shows he has faced seven arrests, including a previous unprovoked attack earlier this year. He had served over a year in Sing Sing Correctional Facility for robbery before his release in June 2024.
In an earlier incident on August 8, Marshall had allegedly slashed a 21-year-old man’s face aboard a subway train just before the doors closed.
Judge Wolf, appointed last year by Mayor Eric Adams, is noted for his past as a civil court judge. The judiciary’s office did not provide immediate comments regarding the case when approached.
However, an OCA spokesperson mentioned that they generally refrain from commenting on individual bail decisions, emphasizing the judges’ discretion in assessing cases for bail based on thorough evaluations.
Marshall’s public defender argued for his release, citing his community ties and participation in a drug treatment program. “Mr. Marshall has shown engagement with the court system in the past,” she claimed.
