CCBF’s Director of Programs Publishes Article on Jackie Wilson’s Bond
Our Director of Programs, Matthew McLoughlin, writes in Truthout about the importance of Judge Hooks’ bond decision in Jackie Wilson’s case. Judge Hooks’s bond decision in Jackie Wilson’s case is significant because it represents the careful consideration required before someone’s liberty is taken away, and it further held the state to its burden of proof. Rather than looking at simply the type of charge a prosecutor levied, Judge Hooks looked at Wilson’s individual circumstances and gave proper consideration to the presumption of pretrial release. It is only in high-profile cases like Wilson’s, which put a media spotlight on the judge, that a person’s pretrial right to freedom is more likely to be honored. This careful, well-documented consideration about whether to take away a person’s freedom pretrial should be the norm and not an exception.
