American Bail Coalition Statement on California A.B. 329, S.B. 262 (2021 session) We believe the legislation is unfortunately unconstitutional in several respects. One, the California Constitution clearly contemplates that only judges will have the power to set bail. These bills would set bail at $0 by legislative edict, and wouldRead More →
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Affirms No Right to Affordable Bail The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which covers Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, issued an opinion on December 28, 2020, in the case of Daves v. Dallas County, Texas. In that case, a federalRead More →
Tarrant County Judge Tells Officials “There is No Evidence” Arnold Pretrial Risk Assessment Tool is Biased—When A New Academic Study Just Found That It Is In the pursuit of something that is not “bail reform,” Tarrant County officials have decided to adopt the Arnold Foundation Public Safety Assessment, a pretrialRead More →
COMMUNITY VOICES: LA DA George Gascón has an offer no criminal can refuse (excerpt from Bakersfield.com 12.27.20) Are you a convicted felon with a history of violent crime? A murderer? Rapist? Child molester? Human trafficker? Drunk driver who kills? Do you take pleasure in using firearms to ratchet up bodyRead More →
Newly-elected Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is clearly a man on a mission to create new laws, whether the public likes it or not — or even if his authority to do so is in question. (Excerpt from the Daily Journal 12.2.20) He has been so obsessed withRead More →
Gascón’s reforms at odds with public safety and LA voters (excerpt from the Los Angeles Daily News – 12.9.20) The arrogance of power reached new heights, or depths, in California on Monday. Newly elected Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón disregarded the just-declared will of the voters and announcedRead More →
MN: Hennepin County Attorney’s No Bail Plan is A Dereliction of Duty, Unconstitutional and Not Evidence-Based Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman had a press conference and issued a press release on December 2, 2020 announcing he was no longer going to seek bail in a variety of crimes. According toRead More →
California Voters Uphold the Right to Bail and Reject the No-Money Bail System and Pretrial Risk Assessments In a stunning defeat, California voters shelved the State’s 2018 no-money bail plan, Senate Bill 10, in the general election after a referendum effort had put the question before voters. A “Yes” voteRead More →
California Voters Reject Computerized No-Money Bail System; Affirm State’s Fundamental Right To Bail FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lakewood, CO (November 4, 2020) – California’s Proposition 25 went down to a resounding defeat in Tuesday’s general election. The fight over the state’s move to a no-money bail system, which dragged on forRead More →
