Judge Sets $4B Bond As Protest

A Texas Court official set bond for a murder suspect at $4 billion as a way to draw attention to a “broken” judicial system that she said sets bonds so high that defendants are forced to remain in jail. Bell County Justice of the Peace Claudia Brown wanted to impose a $100,000 bond on 25-year old Antonio Marquis Willis when he turned himself in on a murder charge. But law enforcement countered that they wanted a $1 million bond. “I changed the 1 to a 4 and added a whole bunch of zeros,” Brown told the Associated Press. Brown, who was elected to a four-year term in November, said, “At some point in time, I had to alert the system that I am a new judge and I’m committed to changing the system. And this was the perfect time, because this man had come in and turned himself in and they were starting the bail at $1 million.” A state district judge lowered the bond to $150,000 later the same day. According to the Texas Judicial Council, about a quarter of the 41,000 inmates awaiting trial in Texas are incarcerated because they can’t afford to post bail.