Bail hearing highlights struggles for convicted minorities, addiction, and rehabilitation in Vermont

BENNINGTON — A routine bail hearing in the criminal case of a Londonderry man accused of eluding Manchester police and violating conditions of release came to represent a minority mom’s struggles with an addicted son, her hopes for rehabilitation with the real possibility of a life lost behind bars, and what race and justice means here in the Green Mountain State. Kwesi Wilson, 39, an African American, is accused in a five-count criminal case in Bennington County of a negligent high-speed chase through the streets of Manchester last month. An affidavit charges that Wilson eluded police officers in a stolen car while weaving through the crowded streets and violated conditions of release from a still-pending case in Windsor County. Wilson, a three-time convicted felon, is currently charged as a habitual offender in Vermont, which carries the possibility of a life sentence if he is found guilty. Wilson has a lengthy criminal record in Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. He has two pending cases in Windham County and was on probation in Connecticut stemming from a drug conviction. More charges of violating probation are still possible. He also has a history of failure to appear at court dates. At a weight of...