The justice system and LEAs exist for a reason: they’re in effect so that they can keep the “bad” men behind bars in order to protect the general masses. And they do, for the most part. The justice system is not, however, infallible. It has its faults—and it has been known to slip up many a time.
The incarceration rates in this country have been on the rise since 1972—and many of the people who eventually find themselves trapped behind bars aren’t guilty at all.
Case in point: Michael Mills.
It was last year, in the September of 2018, when the Duval County police set out to arrest someone, they believed was an imposter. The news bulletins and e-papers announced that the 43-year old black man had been attempting to make a woman to stop by using blue lights—he was impersonating the police.
The testimony came from a woman who was driving ahead of Mills’ car when he allegedly began flashing blue strobe lights from his dashboard at her. Based on her testimony, the police hunted Mills down and searched his car—and did not find any strobe lights.
They did, however, make Mills stand in a line-up and said woman identified him. He was incarcerated thus, and was slapped a $15,000 bail amount.
What Could Have Happened—and What Happened
Mills is a father of four. He is an automotive repairman and runs a small business in Jacksonville. Him languishing in jail would have meant disaster for both his children and his business. Mills might have had to stay in jail for a long time just to wait for his court hearing—or he had the option of $15,000, which for any small business owner is a massive amount.
Mills, however, did the wise thing: he paid a local bail bonds company $150—the standard 10% sum that is required by credible bail bond agencies—and got himself out of jail.
Proven Innocent
Mills was—whether because of his skin or otherwise—treated as guilty until proven innocent, in a startling travesty of justice. This year, in February, however, his lawyer used GPS data to establish that Mills hadn’t even been in the vicinity where the woman had claimed to have seen him.
A full 6 months after his incarceration, the charges against Mills were dropped. To think what would have happened to Mills had he not had a local bail bondsman by his side! “Thank god I was able to bond out,” Mills said later, “because I would have been in the jail that whole time… I could have lost my business, my income, everything for being incarcerated for a crime I didn’t even do.”
Looking for a Similar Bail Bond Agency in Gainesville, Florida?
Lee Calhoun Bail Bonds is one such bail bond agency in Gainesville, Florida. We have 15 years of experience and offer 24/7 emergency services. We’ll get you or your loved one out of jail in no time! Read more about our services here and more about how felonies work in Florida here.