Sunday, July 20, 2008

Punitive Bail For Connecticut's Poor: Lawyer Challenges Corrupt System

Via
CtNewsJunkie


Spinella said he’s found 55 instances where state courts have set bail amounts for minorities that were higher than those set for whites charged in similar crimes. And 140 instances where indigent people charged with substantial crimes were forced to spend months in jail because they were unable to post bond.

Challenging Connecticut’s Bail Bond System


by Christine Stuart

Many of Hartford Attorney A. Paul Spinella’s clients have one thing in common: they were wrongfully imprisoned and held for long periods before the charges against them were dropped.

Spinella has requested class action status for his federal lawsuit, which claims the state’s bail bond system is unconstitutional.

“Nobody even looks at their case until it reaches trial,” Spinella said last week in a telephone interview. He said he looked back three years — as far back as the state’s data goes — and found that more than 500 people each year are held for six months or more before their cases are thrown out.

  • Complete Article
  • 1 comment:

    Anonymous said...

    About time someone is looking into this abuse.
    Good luck Attorney Spinella.