DETROIT, April 14 -- Today, the ACLU of Michigan, the national ACLU, and the law firm Covington & Burling LLP filed a federal class action lawsuit against the 36th District Court in Detroit for violating the constitutional rights of people who are presumed innocent but are confined to jail because they cannot afford to pay bail following their arrest. The lawsuit seeks an overhaul of an unconstitutional cash bail system that discriminates against poor people, locking them up because they cannot afford to pay while allowing those who have money to go free.
"A person's freedom should not depend on how much money they have," said Dan Korobkin, ACLU of Michigan Deputy Legal Director. "Bail was originally intended to ensure a person returns to ...