Mississippi city sued over jailing of poor who miss court payments

Source: Yahoo! News / Reuters

(Reuters) - Poor people are being illegally arrested and jailed in Biloxi, Mississippi, because they cannot afford to pay court fines and fees sought by the city to generate revenue, the American Civil Liberties Union said in a federal lawsuit filed on Wednesday.

The group said the Gulf Coast city known for its casinos and white-sand beaches locks up hundreds of indigent debtors each year for days or weeks at a time without access to a court hearing or lawyer, a violation of their constitutional rights.

"People are being jailed because they're poor," said ACLU attorney Nusrat Choudhury. "There's no chance for them to explain that their inability to pay is because of poverty."

Biloxi spokesman Vincent Creel said the city "treats all defendants fairly under the law" and that its courts have ordered community service for people who could not pay their fines.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/mississippi-town-sued-over-jailing-poor-miss-court-162354662.html