- Posted August 18, 2011
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
Questions raised about releasing felons on bond
DETROIT (AP) -- Questions are being raised about why some convicted felons in Michigan are allowed to remain free on bond ahead of sentencing after several cases where they didn't show up for their punishment.
Sherrod Bradford last week removed a tether the night before his scheduled sentencing, the Detroit Free Press recently reported. The 18-year-old from Detroit faced 10-20 years in prison in a child molestation case. A warrant was issued for his arrest.
A similar incident occurred in May when a Detroit man cut off his tether four days after a jury convicted him of attempted murder. According to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, whose office handles Detroit cases, releasing such felons is "a slap in the face to the jury."
"As an assistant prosecutor, I saw it happen frequently," she said. "My feeling always was, and still is, if you are facing a violent crime ... you don't deserve to be out."
Under Michigan law, state judges may release criminal defendants on bond if they're not considered a danger to others. Historically, the courts have released convicted criminals so they can get their affairs in order and spend time with family.
"We make the decisions based on the information that's made available to us, and we make our best judgment. And sometimes that judgment ends up being an error," said Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Kenny, who heads the criminal division. "I can't imagine that a judge would feel good about a decision that they let someone out and then they don't come back.
"No judge wants that to happen."
The problem is seen in Michigan and elsewhere.
"It has been a long-standing problem since the '70s, and it's getting worse because more and more judges are releasing defendants with little accountability" said Jeff Kirkpatrick, vice president of Universal Fire and Casualty Insurance, which insures bail bond agents. "Some of it is just a matter of bringing it to their attention, that maybe this isn't such a great idea."
According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 52 percent of defendants charged with violent crimes in state courts -- including murder, robbery, rape and assault -- are released on bond. Of those, 11 percent fail to appear for mandatory hearings; roughly 8 percent become fugitives.
Between 1990 and 2004, of the 54,485 criminal defendants who failed to appear for court hearings, 28 percent remained fugitives for more than a year. The Bureau of Justice Statistics doesn't track specifically how many defendants flee after conviction.
Published: Thu, Aug 18, 2011
headlines Oakland County
- Whitmer signs gun violence prevention legislation
- Department of Attorney General conducts statewide warrant sweep, arrests 9
- Adoptive families across Michigan recognized during Adoption Day and Month
- Reproductive Health Act signed into law
- Case study: Documentary highlights history of courts in the Eastern District
headlines National
- Judge is accused of using racial slur, vulgar terms and ‘libtard’ label for employee offended by his comments
- ACLU and BigLaw firm use ‘Orange is the New Black’ in hashtag effort to promote NY jail reform
- Colorado Supreme Court considers whether habeas petition can free zoo elephants
- 4th Circuit upholds $1M sanction for law firm that tried to ‘sabotage’ federal court’s authority
- Don’t give money to law schools unless they teach originalism, conservative federal appeals judge says
- Average BigLaw partner compensation increased 26% in 2 years, reaching this high-water mark