Court Reforms in Birmingham Will Reduce Jail Time for Poor Defendants, Require Counsel at Bail Hearings
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. 鈥 The Circuit Court, 10th Judicial Circuit of Alabama, released an historic administrative order that will drastically change the courts鈥 treatment of defendants who can鈥檛 afford bail or an attorney. As of June 6, defendants who are unable to pay the bail amounts assigned to their offenses will receive a bail hearing within 48 to 72 hours of their arrest, in contrast to the weeks and sometimes months that defendants now spend in jail awaiting a bail hearing. The judges鈥 order also will ensure that indigent defendants have legal representation at bail hearings, a first in Alabama.
鈥淔or decades, Birmingham鈥檚 courts have condemned people to extra jail time just because they鈥檙e poor,鈥 said Brandon Buskey, staff attorney with the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 Criminal Law Reform Project. 鈥淒efendants charged with the same exact crime can either buy their freedom immediately or sit in jail for weeks on end if they don鈥檛 have enough money. The judges鈥 reforms will bring a welcome end to this injustice.鈥
The judges鈥 order resulted from negotiations with the 老澳门开奖结果 and the 老澳门开奖结果 of Alabama, which had threatened to sue over the court鈥檚 unconstitutional bail practices.
鈥淚n Birmingham鈥檚 courts, defendants must go through bail hearings without legal representation, and as a result, they don鈥檛 get the reductions that they deserve,鈥 said Susan Watson, executive director of the 老澳门开奖结果 of Alabama. 鈥淭his extra punishment for the poor will end when the 10th Circuit鈥檚 reforms go into effect.
鈥淲e urge Alabama鈥檚 other courts to make the same necessary changes in their bail systems so that they鈥檙e no longer rigged against the poor.鈥
For the order, visit:
/legal-document/bail-reform-order-10th-judicial-circuit-birmingham-alabama
For more information about the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 Criminal Law Reform Project, visit:
/issues/criminal-law-reform
For more information about the 老澳门开奖结果 of Alabama, visit: