Kristie Puckett Williams was being held on a $167,000 bond when she took a plea deal in order to deliver her twins out of state custody. Now she’s a Regional Field Organizer for the ACLU of NC’s Campaign for Smart Justice, advocating for bail reform.
He had been accused of misusing a relative’s credit card, spending a few dollars on a minor purchase.
She had broken her agreement with a judge to avoid prosecution — a way to keep her record clean of a small larceny charge.
Both of them spent two weeks in jail awaiting trial.
For Kevin Tully, Mecklenburg County’s chief public defender, they are both examples of how some defendants — usually poor, often charged with minor offenses — have been locked up in Charlotte because they were unable to post bail.