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2 Colorado counties settle with ACLU for man's 52-day jail sentence

Posted at 5:53 PM, Mar 22, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-22 19:53:26-04

DENVER — The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado announced a settlement Thursday on behalf of Michael Bailey, who was jailed for six weeks on a misdemeanor warrant before his first appearance in court. 

The ACLU lawsuit against Pueblo and Teller Counties was filed in U.S. District Court in Denver last year. The monetary amount of the settlement has not been disclosed. 

Bailey was arrested Sep. 8, 2015, by Teller County deputies on a 4-year-old misdemeanor warrant out of Pueblo County. 

He was booked into the Teller County Jail without bond and stayed there until Pueblo County deputies picked him up — 52 days later. 

After being transferred to Pueblo County, he appeared before a judge and was immediately released on a personal recognizance bond. 

His charges were later dismissed. But according to an ACLU statement, he had already lost his job because of the lengthy incarceration. 

As part of the settlement, Pueblo and Teller Counties agreed to bring arrestees from either jurisdiction promptly before a judge for first appearance within two “court days.”

Denver7 has reached to the two agencies for comment but did not immediately receive a response.