In October 2010, police say that Steven James Diponio, 54, became so enraged at Charles Duncan, 42, who was homeless and sleeping behind a school near Diponio's house in Detroit, that the older man beat Duncan with a baseball bat, tied him to his car bumper and dragged him down the street.

Detroit Chief Judge Pro Tem Kenneth J. King didn't consider Diponio a threat, however. He set bail at $80,000, allowing Diponio to post 10 percent of that and walk out of jail until his trial. 

Detroit has a history of serious violence against the homeless, but not of harsh prosecution. Urge Judge King and the 38th District Court to take hate crimes against the homeless seriously.