Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Janice Robinson released Adrian Benitez, 29, without bail on charges including attempted murder and aggravated cruelty to animals, despite prosecutors' request for $150,000 bail. The charges stem from an incident where a stray bullet struck and wounded Honey, a 7-year-old Labradoodle service dog accompanying a woman with Down syndrome.
Benitez was arrested on Tuesday, approximately a week after the August 19 incident in Greenwood Heights. Police allege that Benitez, after an argument with another man, fired a handgun. The intended target was not hit, but the bullet struck Honey. The dog sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and required treatment.
In addition to attempted murder, Benitez faces charges of assault, criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment, and aggravated cruelty to animals. Authorities stated that Benitez has no prior unsealed arrests. He is scheduled to return to court on November 24.
Robinson, an elected judge who began her current term in January 2025, has developed a reputation for setting low or no bail for defendants. A review of 13 cases before her found that eight defendants were released without bail, including two charged with attempted murder. The remaining five defendants faced low bail amounts that they were able to post.
Benitez's arraignment occurred Tuesday, and he was released on his own recognizance, with a promise to return to court.
The Office of Court Administration, which represents state judges, stated that bail decisions involve a discretionary weighing of factors to assess a defendant's risk of flight. They declined to comment on specific rulings. "It is important to note, however, that the vast majority of bail decisions turn on the court’s discretionary weighing of a broad range of factors in order to make an individualized assessment of the defendant’s risk of flight to avoid prosecution," OCA spokesman Al Baker said in an email.
Robinson, who was elected to the bench last year, previously worked for insurance companies for two decades before entering politics. She is the niece of Nick Perry, a former state Assembly member and former U.S. ambassador to Jamaica.
