Pontiac Times

Matt Maddock, a Michigan state legislator, published a series of posts on his social media account criticizing the state's judiciary and criminal justice policies. In his posts dated August 29 and 30, 2025, Maddock focused on the role of judges in Pontiac, Michigan, and broader concerns about crime and bail reform in the state.

On August 29, 2025, Maddock stated: "A long time ago, Pontiac MI used to have tough judges like Waterman & Fairbrother and criminals stayed away from Pontiac. Today all the judges are criminal-coddling leftists and they are destroying a great city with great families."

In another post made later that evening on August 30, he wrote: "Michigan has over 34,000 wanted felony fugitive criminals. Most are fugitives from justice because they were released with zero bail by leftist criminal-coddling judges."

In his third post from the same night, Maddock commented: "Guarantee this pig is either a fugitive released by a communist judge with zero bail or an illegal let in by communist Biden. Either way, communists are the threat to civilization."

The issues raised by Maddock reflect ongoing debates within Michigan regarding judicial discretion in bail decisions and broader national conversations about public safety reforms. Recent years have seen several states—including Michigan—reassess their bail practices amid concerns over pretrial detention rates and fairness for low-income defendants. Some critics argue that eliminating cash bail for certain offenses can lead to increased numbers of individuals failing to appear for court or reoffending while awaiting trial.

Bail reform efforts have become particularly contentious as policymakers weigh public safety against calls for criminal justice reform intended to address systemic inequities. These policy shifts often draw criticism from political figures who attribute increases in crime or recidivism to changes in judicial approaches or executive policies.