When You Can’t Afford Bail
December 24, 2012 08:17:11 am
By Edith Brady-Lunny
Karen Emberton spent 44 days in McLean County jail before she could argue why she didn’t belong there. Charged with the low-level felony of filing a false police report, Emberton, 51, couldn’t afford $325 bail or legal assistance.
She was one of many inmates whose cases have aroused concern that local jails in this southern Illinois county are overcrowded with accused individuals awaiting trial on minor offenses, often for longer than the average 30-day stay.
Edith Brady-Lunny, a crime reporter for The Pantagraph in Bloomington, Ill., writes in a series of stories that such cases have led to the development of a county-wide pre-trial services program that has begun to address the problem.
Brady-Lunny, a 2012 John Jay/Public Welfare Foundation Reporting Fellow, researched the stories as part of her Fellowship Project. Please read her main story HERE, and a sidebar on the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council set up to oversee the program HERE.
Posted by Mely
Thursday, January 03, 2013 07:56
It’s been nearly two years since the daeappsirance of Kyron Horman, the case that generated my interest, and unfortunate heartbreak, in children who are victims of crime. Within only weeks of discussion at THM, the majority of commenters were stating that an arrest was imminent. I, on the other hand, expressed a dissenting opinion that the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office was not even close to making an arrest despite knowing who was responsible. I just didn’t feel that they were aggressive enough, soon enough. Many disagreed with me, and in fact, I took a lot of backlash for my criticism of the MCSO.While these types of cases vary with the amount of evidence, I felt (and still do feel) there was enough circumstantial evidence to create charges and pursue a conviction. Unfortunately, the prime unofficial suspect, stepmother, Terri Moulton Hormon, after having failed a polygraph, had inconclusive results on another, and abruptly terminated yet another, retained high-profile criminal defense attorney, Stephen Houze, and ever since, has been untouchable.I wholeheartedly believe that stepmother, TMH (not to be confused with THM, the former blog), holds and shares the key to this mystery with her best friend and possible accomplice, DeDe Spicher. I’m disappointed and disgusted that Terri’s adoptive parents financed her defense by paying a legal retainer of a reported $350,000, while the reward fund to find Kyron at the time was around only $25,000. Her parents have also provided her a safe haven to continue on with her life, while Kaine Horman and Desiree Young, Kyron’s parents, yearn for his return.So far this is a case of turning the other cheek , a principal in which I see very little value, especially when it concerns the welfare of an innocent child.
Posted by Dennis Bartlett
Tuesday, December 25, 2012 03:29
You should remind the reader that there is no commerical bail in Illlinois, hence, the commerical bail bond sign is editorially unnecessary.
Posted by Elizabeth Hale
Monday, December 24, 2012 09:05
It makes no sense to hold someone in jail for such a charge. They are not a danger to the public, and this is obstructing their whole normal life for no good reason. They should be released on their Own Recognisense until their trial date.