INNOCENT MAN GETS $4,000 INCARCERATION BILL FOR 14 MONTHS IN JAIL
Ah, America these days is a lot like the worst parts of our past. STILL. And this is another example thereof. A man who was innocent of the crime officials accused him of was in jail for 14 months. That alone is pretty damn bad and inexcusable. Eventually, the state of Kentucky finally dismissed the charges against him. So, yay? But very soon after his release, he got a bill of $4,000 for the cost of his incarceration. Seriously. And the state of Kentucky is legally arguing that the fact he was innocent is no defense to be free of, well, charge.
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INCARCERATION WHILE INNOCENT IS A VIOLATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, AND THEN TO GET A BILL?
The indebted to the state of Kentucky is one David Jones. Police arrested him on October 13th, 2013. And despite being innocent, suffered incarceration in jail for 14 damn months. Jones’ attorney, Gergory Belzley, says that this bill is a violation of his constitutional rights. And the reasoning is simple. He was innocent! And to have a bill to cover the cost of his incarceration, which should never have happened, it totally punitive. As in, it’s a punishment for not only a crime he didn’t commit, but a punishment for an incarceration of an innocent man who had no control over his circumstances.
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THE JAIL ARGUES HIS INNOCENCE IS IRRELEVANT, AS INCARCERATION COSTS MONEY, NO MATTER WHAT
The Clark County’s attorney, Jeffrey Mando, in return argues that the jail doesn’t decide who they receive for incarceration, and has nothing to do with inmates guilt or innocence. But they need money to continue their services. As in, keeping people in jail. No matter what. Now, another way to argue about how this is total bullshit is that some people might be tempted to take a plea deal. Why? Well, they’ll spend less time in jail, for one. And for another, their bill won’t be so damn high. That, to me, sounds a lot like holding people hostage.
With an America like this, who needs a Banana Republic? Either way, some states want you to pay.
