Louisville Jail Humiliates Black Woman by Bringing Her to Court With No Pants

WDRB reports that the unidentified inmate was brought to Jefferson District Court on Friday morning without a jumpsuit prompting a judge to call the jail and ask, “What the hell is going on?”



An attorney for the woman told Judge Amber Wolf that the jail “refused to give her pants and any kind of [feminine] hygiene products that she needed,” according to a video of the hearing. The defense attorney also said inmates were being denied showers.



The video shows Judge Wolf taking out her cell phone and calling the jail to speak with Metro Corrections Director Mark Bolton, telling someone she wanted to ask him, “Why there is a female defendant standing in front of me with no pants on.”



The woman, who was in jail for not completing a diversion program on a 2014 shoplifting charge, said she had been in jail for days without pants, despite repeated requests.
“Excuse me?” Wolf said. “This is outrageous. Is this for real?” And then, “Am I in the twilight zone? What is happening?”



Jail officials said the woman was wearing shorts, which were hidden by a long shirt. Steve Durham, a spokesman for the jail, said the woman had not been in custody long enough to be given a jail jumpsuit.