Advocates say Harris County Jail keeps poor defendants too long

HOUSTON, Texas (KXAN) — The biggest county in Texas is working to reform its bail system.
Criminal Justice Reform advocates allege the current system unfairly keeps poor defendants in custody for too long.
A study in July by the University of Pennsylvania law school found more than 50 percent of misdemeanor defendants in Harris County are detained until the conclusion of their case.
Many can’t afford to pay their bail. In November, instead of using a set bail schedule, judges wi