Alabama judge forced defendants with court debt to give blood or go to jail

[Liberal_in_LA]

ncident illustrates shocking disregard for poor people overloaded with court debt, unable to pay.

The SPLC filed a judicial ethics complaint against an Alabama judge who forced people unable to pay court fines and fees to give blood or face jail time.

Perry County Circuit Judge Marvin Wiggins threatened defendants in his court with jail on Sept. 17, noting that the sheriff “had enough handcuffs” for those unable to pay and unwilling to donate blood, according to the complaint filed Monday with the Judicial Inquiry Commission of Alabama.

“People who couldn’t pay their court debt with cash literally paid with their blood,” said Sara Zampierin, SPLC staff attorney. “This is a shocking disregard for not only judicial ethics but for the constitutional rights of defendants.”

https://www.splcenter.org/news/2015/10/20/splc-ethics-complaint-alabama-judge-forced-defendants-court-debt-give-blood-or-go-jail

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Perry county is 70% black

and one of the counties that recently lost their driver's license application office.

Amazes me that after all this time, the county court systems show little awareness of getting bad publicity for crap like this.

[KamaAina]

2. I've heard of "a pound of flesh", but this is ridiculous!

And what about people who can't donate blood for whatever reason?