1/ Today in Manhattan arraignments: DA asks for $50k bail on a felony case. What terrible illegal conduct was alleged? Possession of bent metrocards.
2/ Public defender noted that accused person was arrested & charged in BK for identical conduct and the Brooklyn DA asked for $5k. Still excessive for a crime of poverty but Manhattan DA Cy Vance wanted ten times as much. #eyesonDAs
3/ The accused ended up being officially charged with Criminal possession of a forged instrument in second degree. Judge set bail at $5k bond/$3k cash. The accused wasnt able to afford it & likely will remain jailed on Rikers Island until the case is done - days, weeks, months.
4/ To make matters worse, because the judge set bail at an amount higher than $2000 cash, @BKBailFund cannot legally step in to pay — the entire case a clear example of how the system mercilessly criminalizes and punishes poverty
5/ and to be clear about the charge, the Public Defender on the record noted that the accused person did not even appear to have used the metrocards. They were arrested for possession of bent metrocards, found in their pocket. How could that search have been legal?
