Suit Charges Sheriff’s Office With Unlawful Detention of Prisoners After Bonds Paid

A class action lawsuit was filed this week by attorneys for people unconstitutionally detained in Cook County jail after their bonds were paid. The suit challenges Sheriff Tom Dart's newly announced "review" policy for defendants already cleared for release by bond court judges. Under this administrative review, sheriff's office employees continue to hold prisoners for review of current charges and background. “These additional reviews and the resulting prolonged detention, without legal justification, are blatant violations of accused people’s constitutional right to release after a bond has been set by a judge and paid. Additionally, Dart lacks authority to conduct these so-called ‘administrative reviews,’ and his unilateral decision to detain certain individuals by refusing to execute a binding judicial order violates the separation of powers,” said attorney Sara Garber of Thedford Garber Law, the lead attorney on the lawsuit. (Courthouse News)  
Nancy S Bishop

Nancy S. Bishop is publisher and Stages editor of Third Coast Review. She’s a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and a 2014 Fellow of the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. You can read her personal writing on pop culture at nancybishopsjournal.com, and follow her on Twitter @nsbishop. She also writes about film, books, art, architecture and design.