Harold Stumpf was emotional speaking about his nephew’s attack this summer in South Dallas.
The nephew suffered broken bones after being kicked in the torso area, as well as facial injuries and internal bleeding, Stumpf said. The 23-year-old spent several days recovering from his injuries in a local hospital.
“He’s a good kid. He works; he just got a promotion. He treats people with respect,” Stumpf said. “He is blameless. Wrong place, wrong time.”
Stumpf said the blame lies at the alleged attacker’s feet, but also with Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot for allowing the assailant to roam free after posting a low bail.
“That man should never have been out on bail,” Stumpf told The Dallas Express. “The DA’s office knew his history and still allowed him to go free.”
The Dallas Express reached out to the Dallas Police Department to confirm Stumpf’s statements, but the DPD did not immediately respond to an email. The Dallas County jail database does not show information for the alleged attacker.
The nephew, who declined to be identified or interviewed, is only one victim of many who suffered horrific violence at the hands of someone released on low bail.
In 2020, Jerry Ford was released on bond after threatening a woman with his fist and saying he would kill her while swinging a machete. After being released on a $2,500 bond, he killed the victim with a hunting knife.
A year earlier, David Cadena attacked a woman in a parking garage after being released on bond.
In June of this year, Peter Nicholas III was charged with assault on a pregnant woman after he stabbed his pregnant fiancée in front of her 6-year-old son. Nicholas was out on bond after being indicted on a murder charge in late 2019 and released on bond days later for allegedly killing his wife in a downtown Dallas hotel.
When asked about how bail reform is working, Creuzot told The Washington Post in August, “I think we’re doing a good job.”
Creuzot also told The Washington Post that state law requires people accused of violent crimes to put up cash to obtain bail. The DA thinks bond reform should focus on keeping people out of the system, keeping families together, and keeping them employed; putting up cash is a challenge for lower-income people.
But Stumpf has questions of his own.
“Why wasn’t the man who attacked [his nephew] still in jail,” he asked. “Did he slip through the cracks of the [judiciary] system?”
In March/2018 my Daughter Shniquia Simington was murdered by Dan Taylor my daughter case was or is botched by DPS I was told Dan Taylor bond was $500,000 later I found out his bond was $150,000 DA treats this murderer like royalty John Creuzot promise to help me get and keep Dan Taylor behind bars however John Creuzot transferred my daughters case to Austin, Tx to this day I have never gone to court or met the judge our case is still in Dallas, Tx but handle by Austin county Dan Taylor is out with no supervision he had prior cases before murdering my daughter.
Oh my God! What is wrong with TX justice system?
The ruling party. Elections have consequences. Time for a sweeping change.
Exactly. Keep voting for swine like this DA, and you’ll keep seeing the same exact shenanigans. Time for Dallas to OUST this DA (and city council members.)
I agree, but this DA won the primary SMH!
well said Tim
The PROBLEM is that the jail cells are fFULL…
Build more, we have cheap labor crossing the border every day.
BOOM 💥
LIBERALS are wrong with the Justice system! Look at all the freaking criminals in Congress they all skate above the law, every dang one of them!!
Creuzot is a George Soros piece of garbage. He’s one of many Soros minions. He must be voted out if we want any real justice in our town. Spread the word…Let’um go Creuzot has to go!!!
Creuzot also tries to put as many Cops in jail as he can, he is scum!
I am so sorry for your loss. I am so sorry that you, the innocent, have to live this nightmare of injustice. Prisons are here for a reason, to protect the innocent & provide a civilized world for good people. Prayers go out for you. Pray for our city.
Fire Crezeuot. He is Cresting a dangerous dynamic in Dallas. He is WILFULLY incompetent
More than fire him. File a very large lawsuit against him. 5o million because of his lack of understanding of the law.
Mr Creuzot values racial and economic equity over the safety of Dallas citizens. That’s why bail is low and you can steal up to $750 worth of goods without being arrested. This latter policy worked so well in San Francisco that Walgreens was force to close their downtown stores.
We should follow the lead of San Francisco and fire our DA who does not enforce the law.
People with violent charges should have to wear a leg monitor if they are able to make bond.If these people have backgrounds with aggressive charges the bail should be higher with more stipulations on release
Leg monitors can be cut off. Jails were built for a readon.
We had similar horrible experience in Dallas County with an arsonist that blew up our cars in the driveway and tried to burn our house down several times.
We moved to Collin County!!
I was under the distinct impression that magistrates appointed by district judges determine bail – did the system change? Violent criminals, or those who are determined to be violent shouldn’t be allowed to buy their way out of jail by posting a cash bail bond. Cash bail keeps the poor incarcerated, while allowing those who can raise ten percent of their cash bail to purchase their freedom. Everyone is hurt by a cash bail system. And, there’s your problem. The DA may have input into the bail system but it ultimately is on the state legislature, the district judges and the commissioners’ court!
He is a soros backed DA. Vote him out
It’s sad, but the crime is only going to get worse, no matter what anybody does. There is hope. If we as a nation would repent our sins then God will heal our land. That’s what the Bible says. If everyone would confess their sins, ask God for forgiveness,God will take care of it.But we have to ask!! He gives us a choice let’s make the right choice. God bless all the families who have been affected by the violence in Dallas, I empathize with them. The district attorneys who intentionally release these criminals back into society, God help them they will one day stand before the king and recieve their judgement. Even though poor people have no money for bail, that’s no reason to lower their bail so they can get out and repeat what got them there in the first place! I’m poor, African American ,, I don’t expect anything special , if I’m guilty of the crime I know there are consequences for my actions, I must pay for what I’ve done! Judge creuzo you got it wrong you helped but hurt also more than you know.
Could the DA’s office be interested in getting on the bandwagon currently baffling millions of Americans, where violent criminals are let out by liberal Democrat judges and their courts? Gee, I think so…
If he’s so sure these people will not continue to commit crimes after they make a low-ball bail they should be released into his custody. He can watch dog them in his own home. Wonder how that would change his decisions?
When I was much younger Creuzot was a great lawyer with great passion. I worked along side him preparing transcripts for cases he pushed for more constraints not less. It looks like he’s turned in his passion for the dollars he gets paid for being DA; and seems to be doing what it takes for his constituents to re-elect him. Mona Richard, Grand Jury Court Reporter 1985
The low bond has helped a lot of low income people who are non violent offenders. Apparently more consideration should be given to those who are charged with viloent crimes. Locking up everyone who gets arrested on high bonds is not effective for the economy or the jail system.
Liberal DA needs to go. Crime should have consequences, if not crime becomes more violent. Bail should be no less if you’re poor. Poor people know right from wrong. Vote these liberals OUT!!
The problem is not Creuzot is the state Republican legislators who write the laws and guidelines the DA has to follow.
Shows exactly what you know about our system. Creuzot is not Republican and he is the problem. He is the one that wanted everyone released from Dallas County during Covid. Maybe if he kept more repeat offenders in jail violent crime would go down
He did not say Creuzot was Republican. He said Cruezot was following the laws and guidelines of a Republican legislature. Changes in law must originate there. If he was elected by a majority of the people in Dallas county, the majority of the people in Dallas county must vote him out. Will crime decrease then? I doubt it.
can the Governor remove that COWARD DA
I think the Dallas DA has put policies in place to change Dallas County unjust legal system.
What we had in place wasn’t working.
I realize that it’s not the focus of the article, but I’m perplexed by the use of “politically correct” language in paragraph 10: “Peter Nicolas III was charged with assault on a pregnant person.”
Was that the actual wording of the charge? Or the PC wording chosen by the Dallas Express Staff?
Two lines further down, the later use of the pronoun “her” seems to indicate that the “pregnant person” was actually a “woman”. But to be consistent, perhaps it should have been “their.” But who can really distinguish the truth in such complex matters?
Creuzot has got to go!! NO MORE LIBERALS in law enforcement period!! We need someone who is exceedingly tough and strong against crime!! Creuzot needs to be recalled!!
i know longer live in Dallas and when i read about this stuff it almost makes me laugh because people are getting what they voted for, just like in NYC. Can anyone explain to me why idiots like the NYC and Dallas DA are being elected? They are morons.
y’all are losers. I am the fiancé of Peter. Peter didn’t stab anyone and has never harmed me, Y’all are so desperate, you’d say anything for views/reads. The DA is so focused on keeping people AWAY from family even after I asked them to drop everything. Now we have to wait multiple years for him to meet our twins. The Dallas system is trash.
The Dallas DA, John Creuzot, is a retired Judge and an award-winning lawyer with more than three decades of experience in the criminal justice system, including more than 21 years as a Felony District Court Judge. (so why would he allow criminals to walk freely in Dallas)? His background also includes seven years of service as a Dallas County Assistant District Attorney and Chief Felony Prosecutor as well as a criminal defense lawyer while in private practice. This is somebody who deserves to be sitting in prison…for the crimes he’s turning a blind eye on.