Gerald Winston Surratt Jr. - Let's Lock Him Up

We've blogged on Gerald Winston Surratt Jr. before. Some know him as Jerry Surratt, the name under which he has a very colorful Facebook page. He has enough merchandise listed for sale to open his own catalogue return shop.

Police are currently searching Florence and the surrounding area for Surratt who went on a crime spree earlier this week. Crime is certainly nothing new for Surratt. During the past seven years, the Florence man has racked up 26 separate arrests on even more charges. Yet he continues to walk free.

Perhaps two of Surratt's most serious offenses are only alleged. A grand jury failed to indict Surratt in an attempted Sheffield rape, and detectives never accumulated enough hard evidence to arrest him in a UNA robbery/kidnapping. Other charges have been pleaded down.

Several readers have asked us why Surratt has not faced more strenuous prosecution. We'd say family money can retain some very good attorneys. Surratt himself now brags that he's Judge Ben Graves' second cousin. We sincerely doubt that Graves would risk his career for someone of Surratt's ilk. 

If you've ever been a victim of Gerald Surratt, we suggest you watch the prosecution of these cases very carefully. When (and if) Surratt is convicted of his most recent felonies, write a letter to the judge. This doesn't guarantee that the perennial bad boy will be locked up for a long time, but it's a start.