Detroit court's bail system criminalizes being black and broke, suit claims

Kushawn Moore, Jr., 17, was never in trouble with the law until he was arrested last week and charged with armed robbery.

A lawsuit filed on his behalf alleges the high school junior from Detroit was taken to jail, handcuffed to a bench and not told what would happen next. The following day, he was arraigned from jail by a video conference with 36th District Court without a lawyer.

The magistrate asked him one question - his name - before setting bail at $50,000 with no option of paying 10 percent of the costs, as is common, a lawsuit alleges.

Moore’s detention came two weeks after a suspected drug dealer didn’t show up for his court hearings after being set free on a $200 bail for allegedly being caught with enough cocaine and heroin to face life in prison.

Read more: https://www.bridgemi.com/detroit-journalism-cooperative/detroit-courts-bail-system-criminalizes-being-black-and-broke-suit