Habitual offender receives ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ card from sympathetic judge

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Arnold Malone of St. Thomas was re-arrested after prosecutors filed additional charges, including first-degree assault with intent to commit murder, according to Superior Court records.

Malone, 48, turned himself in Sunday and appeared in court Monday, but Magistrate Judge Simone Van Holten-Turnbull dismissed the case without prejudice because prosecutors filed an incomplete list of charges. After the hearing, “the officer submitted a corrected Probable Cause statement,” which the Attorney General’s Office reviewed and filed with the court, Virgin Islands Justice Department spokeswoman Sandra Goomansingh said. Police rearrested Malone, and he appeared in court again Tuesday. He was initially charged with first- and third-degree assault, and three counts each of reckless endangerment and leaving the scene of an accident. Malone is now facing additional charges, including first-degree assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a deadly weapon, reckless driving, negligent driving, operating a motor vehicle with excessive window tint, and interfering with an officer. Bail was set at $75,000, and Van Holten-Turnbull allowed Malone to be released to third-party custodians after posting 10% of that amount in cash, according to the record of proceeding from Tuesday’s hearing.