Democratic judges drop bail suit

Less than a week after being sworn in to office, Harris County's new misdemeanor judges on Monday withdrew their appeal in the landmark lawsuit over local bail practices that a federal judge said unfairly targeted poor people accused of crimes. The county has spent more than $9 million in legal fees to fight the case. The historic litigation began in 2016, when attorneys and civil rights groups sued the county on behalf of defendants jailed for days because they couldn't afford bond on low-level offenses.