Bond Reform-Justice for Darwin Oliver
Donation protected
Hello, I’m Darwin Oliver and I need your help. My mother has created this fundraiser to help me raise bail.
My attorney Symone Redwine has been fighting for me. She summarizes my case, and why my family is fundraising to help me make bond below.
This issue isn’t just about Darwin, it’s about ensuring that the Dallas County justice system cannot continue to hold folks ransom.
My client Darwin is an energetic 23 year-old African- American college student and father of an adorable 1 year old son. He’s been incarcerated in Dallas County Jail since October 10th on an unjust and oppressive $100,00 bail for allegedly stealing $500 worth of stuff. He has two cases pending. Neither case involved weapons, violence or threats and in both cases the victim stated he was not hurt. Yet, the State has chosen to file what should be two misdemeanor cases as state jail and first-degree felonies. Twice his attorneys have tried to obtain a more reasonable bail, but have only managed to get it reduced from $100,000 to $75,000.
Dallas County’s bail system is so oppressive that thanks to the ACLU, they were actually sued because their system forces poor folks who can’t afford their bail to take pleas, despite their innocence, or sit in jail for years awaiting trial. We don’t want that for Darwin, and that’s why we need your help.
Darwin’s bail is excessive and oppressive, especially considering he has no prior convictions and his cases make no allegations of violence, weapons or threats have been made. In fact, in the case which the judge set at $50,000 bail he’s simply accused of buying an iphone with $300 in counterfeit money!
His family can't raise the bail so we need any help possible. Even $10 helps. Without making bail Darwin will fail his entire school semester. It’s too late to withdraw so he will earn F’s. Plus, by missing so many days in jail, before he could even re-enroll FAFSFA will demand he pays back his aid/pays tuition to the school for a semester he was in jail before he can even enroll for the future. Basically, he’s lost school, his car has been repossessed due to the tow fees post-arrest. But luckily he has a great support system and his company of two years has a job waiting for him if you can help him make bail.
Otherwise, like thousands of other defendants in Dallas County, he’ll have to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years in jail. Even worse, like so many defendants every day, he’ll most likely feel forced to take a plea on an offense he's innocent of, simply because he does not have the funds
Thank you to the #ACLU and organizations like #FaithinTexas who recently won litigation against Dallas County for these very same oppressive bail practices. Thank you for striving to protect folks like Darwin from excessive bail charged to folks who are being held ransom by the system.
My attorney Symone Redwine has been fighting for me. She summarizes my case, and why my family is fundraising to help me make bond below.
This issue isn’t just about Darwin, it’s about ensuring that the Dallas County justice system cannot continue to hold folks ransom.
My client Darwin is an energetic 23 year-old African- American college student and father of an adorable 1 year old son. He’s been incarcerated in Dallas County Jail since October 10th on an unjust and oppressive $100,00 bail for allegedly stealing $500 worth of stuff. He has two cases pending. Neither case involved weapons, violence or threats and in both cases the victim stated he was not hurt. Yet, the State has chosen to file what should be two misdemeanor cases as state jail and first-degree felonies. Twice his attorneys have tried to obtain a more reasonable bail, but have only managed to get it reduced from $100,000 to $75,000.
Dallas County’s bail system is so oppressive that thanks to the ACLU, they were actually sued because their system forces poor folks who can’t afford their bail to take pleas, despite their innocence, or sit in jail for years awaiting trial. We don’t want that for Darwin, and that’s why we need your help.
Darwin’s bail is excessive and oppressive, especially considering he has no prior convictions and his cases make no allegations of violence, weapons or threats have been made. In fact, in the case which the judge set at $50,000 bail he’s simply accused of buying an iphone with $300 in counterfeit money!
His family can't raise the bail so we need any help possible. Even $10 helps. Without making bail Darwin will fail his entire school semester. It’s too late to withdraw so he will earn F’s. Plus, by missing so many days in jail, before he could even re-enroll FAFSFA will demand he pays back his aid/pays tuition to the school for a semester he was in jail before he can even enroll for the future. Basically, he’s lost school, his car has been repossessed due to the tow fees post-arrest. But luckily he has a great support system and his company of two years has a job waiting for him if you can help him make bail.
Otherwise, like thousands of other defendants in Dallas County, he’ll have to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years in jail. Even worse, like so many defendants every day, he’ll most likely feel forced to take a plea on an offense he's innocent of, simply because he does not have the funds
Thank you to the #ACLU and organizations like #FaithinTexas who recently won litigation against Dallas County for these very same oppressive bail practices. Thank you for striving to protect folks like Darwin from excessive bail charged to folks who are being held ransom by the system.
Organizer and beneficiary
Taisha Roberts
Organizer
DeSoto, TX
Symone Redwine
Beneficiary
