Ruling says courts cannot routinely shackle defendants

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Courts cannot routinely shackle defendants "like a bear on a chain" and must instead decide on a case-by-case basis whether the restraints are necessary to prevent violence or escape, a divided federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. Defendants — regardless of their individual characteristics — appeared before judges in leg shackles and handcuffs connected by a chain to a waistband, according to the 9th Circuit opinion. In a dissenting opinion, 9th Circuit Judge Sandra Ikuta said the majority decision ignored U.S. Supreme Court direction on the issue, split with other federal appeals courts and put federal district courts at risk. ......