LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — A former intake clerk at the Pulaski County jail has been fired and criminally charged after she allegedly posed as a bail bondsman and had a woman send her $500 to her personal Cash App due to “COVID protocol.” A woman called the jail on March 12 looking for information on an …
Affidavit: Pulaski County jail clerk posed as bail bondsman, stole $500 through Cash App Read More »
This week’s state Supreme Court decision on cash bail could fundamentally alter the state’s criminal justice system — purportedly barring anyone from being held in jail before trial solely because they don’t have enough money to get out. But it’s unlikely to throw open the jailhouse doors anytime soon for many of the 44,000 people across California …
Can’t afford bail? State Supreme Court offers relief for some defendants Read More »
Gov. Greg Abbott prioritized changing how bail is set. He isn’t addressing people stuck behind bars because they can’t afford to pay. Multiple federal courts have found Texas’ cash bail practices discriminatory against poor people. The governor has said his priority bill will instead focus on keeping “dangerous criminals” in jail before they’re convicted. Preston …
Bail reform at the 2021 Texas Legislature faces uphill battle Read More »
Supporters say it will help poor people they say are unfairly jailed because they can’t pay. Opponents say it will create a scenario favorable for re-offenders. ILLINOIS, USA — It’s a historic bill that gives some hope. HB 3653 would make Illinois the first state in the country to completely abolish cash bail. “We are …
Bill would make Illinois first state to end cash bail Read More »
Lower-level criminal defendants who can’t afford their bonds can soon get out of jail without having to pay any money to await trial under a new Pima County program that could save taxpayers millions of dollars, officials said. In a move being described as the first of its kind, the Board of Supervisors has given …
Pima County will provide bail money for some defendants under new program Read More »
SACRAMENTO — A ballot measure that would have abolished California’s cash bail system was rejected by the state’s voters in Tuesday’s election. Proposition 25 would have replaced the use of money bail as a condition for getting out of jail while awaiting trial with a system allowing release by judges based on a determination of public …
The movement to eradicate bail from America’s justice system will face a crucial test Nov. 3, when California voters will decide whether to end the centuries-old practice of trading money for freedom and replace it with algorithms that try to predict whether defendants deserve to be released before trial. If the ballot measure known as …
California may replace cash bail with algorithms — but some worry that will be less fair Read More »
On the one hand, defendants in criminal cases — who are presumed innocent — shouldn’t be detained in jail just because they can’t pay to get out; on the other, those who are dangerous but wealthy can be held without bond only if they’re suspected of capital crimes. Those were two of the key viewpoints …
Issues surrounding bail bonds a major focus of Kansas task force on pretrial justice Read More »
California’s attorney general is citing the COVID-19 pandemic in asking the state Supreme Court to reinstate the thrust of a landmark 2018 appellate ruling ordering state judges to spurn traditional cash bail schedules, to reduce the number of people jailed primarily because they can’t afford bail. In a letter to the high court Wednesday, Attorney …
Attorney General asks California Supreme Court to restore Humphrey bail-reform ruling Read More »
On Oct. 8, 2018, Samuel Bouknight was arrested on Colfax Avenue and booked into the Denver city jail for driving under the influence of alcohol. A pretrial officer then scored Bouknight using a 12-question survey designed to predict whether he would miss his court date or commit a new crime if released from jail. He …
Bias against Black people found in Colorado bail reform tool Read More »
