US Judge Ordered To Stop Jailing Poor People Over Court Fines
A Michigan judge has been ordered by a circuit court to stop putting defendants in jail because they can’t afford to pay court fines. The district judge will now consider a defendant’s job status, assets, basic living expenses and any other special circumstances that might affect their ability to pay. RT reports: The court order was a victory for the Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued Eastpointe Judge Carl Gerds III over what it called an unconstitutional practice.