ODonnell Consent Decree Will Harm Criminal Justice In Texas
Dec 23, 2019
Maranda ODonnell had lost her driver's license and auto insurance because of previous convictions involving driving under the influence of controlled substances. After yet another arrest, her lawyers argued that she was unlawfully denied the right to bail because she was unable to pay the amount prescribed by the bail schedule entered by the misdemeanor judges of county criminal court in Harris County, Texas.
Against this backdrop, the case of ODonnell v. Harris County unfolded and in the process, has became one of the most closely watched cases in the nation as it slowly moved its way through the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas over the past three-plus years.