CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — A homeless woman facing two separate petit larceny charges was held on bail Monday after appearing before Judge Jennifer A. Henry in Suffolk County’s Central Islip Criminal Court.
The accused, who has no stable housing or income, is charged in connection with a July 28 incident and a separate theft case from April 1, 2023.
Her court appearance was prompted by a warrant issued after she failed to appear for the 2023 case.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Barden requested that the accused be placed under supervised release, citing her failure to appear as evidence of unreliability.
But Eric von Czerniewicz, an attorney from the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society, challenged the narrative.
He argued that the accused missed her earlier court date because she lacked legal representation and had no means of transportation.
Court summonses likely never reached her, he added, due to her unstable housing situation.
“She could not receive mail notifying her about her appearance because she doesn’t have a residence,” said von Czerniewicz.
The accused told the court, “I didn’t know. I had no idea about these charges.”
Judge Henry, however, pointed to the accused’s prior felony conviction, her failure to appear in court, and her lack of communication with probation as signs she might not return voluntarily.
Despite defense objections, the judge imposed bail: $750 cash, a $1,500 insured bond, or a $7,500 partially secured surety bond.
