Baltimore Protesters Going Free Amid Court Logjam

About half of the people arrested in Baltimore's unrest earlier this week were being released from custody this evening because police haven't gotten their paperwork in order, reports NBC News. The network says 101 demonstrators were walking out of the city's booking facility because no charges had been filed within 48 hours. The move came after the state public defender's office filed habeas corpus petitions protesting their detention. They may not be in the clear, however: A police official said investigators would continue working on their cases.

Others weren't so lucky. The AP reports that attorneys representing those who have been charged are angry about what they see as excessive bails. For example, 28-year-old Gerard Anderson had his bail set at $100,000 today on charges of malicious destruction and felony burglary. His attorney, however, argued that Anderson wasn't a vandal but had been going to a grocery store to shop when the bedlam began. (More Baltimore riots stories.)