An appeals court Tuesday struck down a policy of routinely handcuffing and shackling pretrial detainees appearing before judges in the San Diego-based federal court district.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said the Southern California district has not adequately justified its policy, adopted by the district judges in 2013 on the recommendation of the U.S. Marshals Service. The restraints include leg shackles and handcuffs linked to a belly band by a 15-inch chain.
Detainees often complained about the five-point restraints, and some judges in the district did not require them.