WFB: The Michigan American Civil Liberties Union is suing the 36th District Court and the Wayne County sheriff on behalf of low-income Detroit residents who are caught up in the legal system and unable to afford bail.
“[The cash bail system] punishes people not for what they’ve done, but for what they don’t have,” Dan Korobkin, deputy legal director of ACLU Michigan, said Monday in a press conference.
The lawsuit alleges that courts do not adequately consider a person’s financial state when imposing bail requirements, nor do they adequately consider whether a person is a flight risk or an immediate danger to the community. This leads to poor people receiving a similar bail amount to someone who is middle class or wealthy, which the ACLU claims is discriminatory and violates the Equal Protection Clause and the Due Process Clause of the United States Constitution.
According to Korobkin, a judge will make quick decisions on bail requirements, which can be as fast as 30 seconds. Because of this process, he said that people are locked up without clear evidence of wrongdoing. Although wealthy people will be able to post bail and walk free, poor people will be stuck in jail and may lose their jobs, their housing and/ or their ability to take care of and watch their children, he said.
A Michigan ACLU news release referred to this as a two-tier system.
The lawsuit also argues that the current system violates the right to an attorney for people accused of crimes because there is no guarantee that an attorney will be present when bail is set. Rather than providing a proper pre-trial hearing, it alleges that the court imposes bail through a cursory and summary procedure, which does not facilitate this Constitutional protection.
Korobkin said the current legal system harms communities, businesses, families and taxpayers who have to finance people’s stay in jail when they have not been convicted of a crime. more here
…yep. liberal sanctuary city Cinncinnati is on board with THAT, too…
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/2019/04/16/sittenfeld-its-time-bail-reform-cincinnati/3483398002/
I suggest the ACLU put up the bail for the down trodden. Until then, STFU
I see this daily in the local blotters. People arrested for seemingly common crimes are issued large bail amounts, then the more serious crimes get an i-bond or recognizance bond.
The i-bonds are not commonly issued to white people.
In fact, watching the daily blotters. It’s apparent the police have 2 jobs. One is handle criminals, the other is to bring in revenue targets for the courts.
Don’t believe me? Just look to the asset forfeitures for confirmation.
Seattle solves this by not arresting anyone.
Even better, the city of Dallas, TX DA’s office has decriminalized theft of “life necessiities” having a value of $750. In a few months Dallas will be surprised by the sudden, inexplicable rise in shoplifting.
Liberals. They never learn.
Also, California legislators were recently trying to create an income-based sliding scale for traffic fines. So low-income (read “minorities”) would pay little-to-nothing, while higher income (i.e. “white people”) would pay much more.
Just cut to the chase and legalize crime for any one that doesn’t have straight white male privilege.
To avoid paying bail, stay the hell out of jail. Or is that too simplistic fo’ y’all?
Tony R: Dallas will probably also be surprised when the cost of those “life necessities” goes way up because those things that are stolen have to be paid for somehow.
Bo Tsar APRIL 17, 2019 AT 12:55 PM
“Just cut to the chase and legalize crime for any one that doesn’t have straight white male privilege.”
…did you SEE the stuff the Obama administration got away with? I don’t think they NEED to legalize crime for any one that doesn’t have straight white male privilege…I think they already DID.