Selling Out Public Safety and the Taxpayers for a Political Agenda



by Ken W. Good

The national debate about bail reform is one of the most hotly contested issues of our generation.  As such, the acrimony and rhetoric has reached such a negative level that the parties involved can no longer even agree on the basic framework for the debate.  It’s against this backdrop that the case of ODonnell v. Harris County in the United States District Court in Harris County, Texas has unfolded.

Ms. ODonnell, a single mother, lost her driver’s license and insurance for previous driving convictions involving the use of controlled substances.  Held for two days in jail, her attorneys argued that she was unlawfully denied the right to bail because of her inability to pay the amount prescribed on the county’s bail schedule.

 

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