The high price of being wrongly accused in Alabama's 'monetized' criminal justice system

"After felony charges against Steven McDowell were dropped and another person turned himself in for the crimes, the Army reservist from Huntsville still wasn't free.

McDowell was left with thousands of dollars of debt, struggled to find a job and lived without utilities for over two months. That's because even though prosecutors now consider him innocent, being falsely accused comes with a cost.

Fees and lost wages as a result of a three-day jail stay and more than a year of navigating the court system cost McDowell about $7,000 -- even though he was innocent.

Now, 27-year-old McDowell is seeking to have his record cleared through another costly court process called expungement. McDowell, who served in Afghanistan, has no other prior arrests or convictions..."

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