In Harris County, money is no longer required up front for release of any misdemeanor arrestee who is indigent and who is not subject to some other hold.

Thank Neal Manne, a managing partner at Susman Godfrey, for that change. In April, Manne won for his clients a monumental ruling from a Houston federal judge that led to the release thousands of people jailed for minor offenses who were stuck behind bars for no other reason than because they were poor.