A Texas judge who lost his re-election bid in the midterms decided to release almost all the defendants who appeared before him the following day.
Judge Glenn Devlin asked each person just one question as they stood before him: "'If I release you, will you go out and murder anybody?"
A long-time Republican juvenile court judge in Harris County, Judge Devlin was beaten by Democrat Natalia Oakes in Tuesday's midterm elections.
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After his defeat, Judge Devlin seemed to give up on his judicial duties and released a total of seven defendants on Wednesday. Charges ranged from low-level misdemeanours to violent crimes.
"'If I release you, will you go out and murder anybody?' And so, if the juvenile said 'No,' they were released," public defender Steve Halpert told local station KTRK-TV.
"Judge Devlin would never normally ask that question of a juvenile. This was unusual."
Judge Devlin was reportedly heard saying it was "what the voters wanted", seeming to refer to the Democrat who had been elected in his place. Democrats are often accused of being soft on crime by Republicans.
Four of the juveniles faced charges of aggravated robbery, and their release was strongly criticised by the county's other prosecutors.
"We oppose the wholesale release of violent offenders at any age," District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement. "This could endanger the public."
The youths have not been let off scot-free - their cases will be heard again in January, when Judge Oakes takes the bench.
Judge Devlin's track record up until this point show he was prone to incarceration, doubling the number of Harris County juvenile offenders sent to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department in recent years.
He has declined to respond to American media's requests for comment.
Newshub.
