Background
Jared Marcus Wiggins sought supervisory review of a bail ruling in a criminal case pending in Louisiana’s 23rd Judicial District Court for Assumption Parish.
The district court had set bail at $700,000. The appellate order identifies armed robbery and home invasion as the charged offenses.
The Court’s Holding
The Louisiana Court of Appeal, First Circuit, denied Wiggins’s writ application. The majority provided no explanation for its decision.
Judge Fields dissented. Citing the constitutional prohibition against excessive bail and Louisiana’s statutory bail factors, the dissent would have granted the application and remanded for a hearing to review those factors and set reasonable bail. Judge Fields relied on the information before the court, including Wiggins’s lack of a prior criminal record and financial inability to pay $700,000, while acknowledging the seriousness of the charged offenses.
Key Takeaways
- The First Circuit left the district court’s $700,000 bail ruling undisturbed by denying supervisory review.
- The majority’s summary order stated no reasoning for the denial.
- Judge Fields would have required a hearing addressing the statutory bail factors and Wiggins’s ability to pay.
Why It Matters
The order illustrates the limited guidance a summary writ denial may provide in a bail dispute. The dissent nevertheless highlights that bail must be evaluated under Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure article 316 and may not be unreasonably high in relation to the government’s purposes.