After $2.25 Million in Legal Expenses, How Much More Will Harris County Spend on Bail Suit?
Standing outside the Harris County criminal courthouse Thursday, community activists and criminal justice advocates called on county officials to stop spending millions in taxpayer dollars to fight the bail lawsuit and instead agree to a settlement.
Last week, in a scathing 193-page opinion, a federal judge ruled the misdemeanor bail system violates poor people's constitutional rights, given that people with money can go free within hours of arrest while those without must languish in jail until trial. Under U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal's order, the county must start releasing all misdemeanor arrestees on personal bonds within 24 hours of arrest as soon as May 15.
But that's if the county doesn't try to block the ruling with an appeal — an expensive legal fight that attorneys and advocates alike said Thursday would put Harris County on the wrong side of history and result in a waste of taxpayer money, which could be better spent on reforms.
"All told, after 10 months and with legal bills approaching $3 million, Harris County failed to produce a single credible witness to testify in support of the {bail} system," said Texas Criminal Justice Coalition attorney Jay Jenkins, citing Judge Rosenthal's findings. "These same voices that Judge Rosenthal deemed appropriately not credible are the same voices that have routinely squandered opportunity at real reform of the criminal justice system. If the county chooses to fight this lawsuit any further, they're going to lose... So why would we waste any more money?"
Read more: http://www.houstonpress.com/news/after-federal-ruling-will-harris-county-continue-spending-millions-to-fight-bail-lawsuit-9413576
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