Prisoners are worried about their fate as COVID-19 continues to make its way through cities and states across the country, the Texas Tribune reports.
Steven Hopwood, who has a history of pneumonia and scarring on his lungs, is worried about catching the virus while he is held in jail, according to the news agency. Hopwood, 61, was scheduled for a hearing — wherein he planned to plead guilty to bail-jumping and his attorney believes he would receive probation — but the hearing was canceled due to the novel coronavirus. Now, Hopwood is left waiting in Lavaca County Jail indefinitely.
The public defender's office filed a motion to lower Hopwood's bail amount so that he may be released due to "lethal threat of COVID-19," but that request hasn't been answered yet and Hopwood is worried he will get the virus while waiting in jail, which he believes will kill him, according to the news agency.
Since the spread of the virus, many courts have gone to teleconferencing and postponing all hearings that aren't emergent or essential. Because many cities and states have banned gatherings of more than 10 people, having in-person hearings is impossible.
The virus and what's happening with the court system will create many delays to cases just like Hopwood's.
“There are some prosecutors who are softening up on [no-cost] bonds, and there are some law enforcement agencies that are indicating that they’re not going to be arresting the nonviolent misdemeanors,” Abner Burnett, director of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid’s public defender division, said. “Then there are some judges who are saying they’re just, by God, they’re not letting people out because they broke the law.”
Defense attorneys, as well as criminal justice reform advocacy groups, are concerned with teleconferencing hearings because if hearings are held that way, defense attorneys are not able to privately speak with their clients, nor are they able to approach the bench if that is needed, the news agency reports.
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