California Governor Jerry Brown has signed Senate Bill 10, the California Money Bail Reform Act, eliminating cash bail in the state:
An overhaul of the state's bail system has been in the works for years, and became an inevitability earlier this year when a California appellate court declared the state's cash bail system unconstitutional. The new law goes into effect in October 2019. "Today, California reforms its bail system so that rich and poor alike are treated fairly," Brown said in a statement, moments after signing the California Money Bail Reform Act.
The governor has waited nearly four decades to revamp the state's cash bail system. In his 1979 State of the State Address, Brown argued the existing process was biased, favoring the wealthy who can afford to pay for their freedom, and penalizing the poor, who often are forced to remain in custody.
[...] Under the California law those arrested and charged with a crime won't be putting up money or borrowing it from a bail bond agent to obtain their release. Instead, local courts will decide who to keep in custody and whom to release while they await trial. Those decisions will be based on an algorithm created by the courts in each jurisdiction.
Bail agents disapprove.
See also: California's 'cautionary tale' for others considering no cash bail system
California's bail bond empire strikes back
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 04 2018, @05:03AM (4 children)
"money you'll never get back, just like bail"
.
You don't know what you are talking about.
Bail money is refunded when you appear in court.
The only portion of bail money you lose is the 10% fee a
bail bondsman charges if you use his services.
Have you ever had to make bail ? No.
I have, and I know what I am talking about, and you don't.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Tuesday September 04 2018, @06:23AM
The way bail tends to get inflated, that 10% could be a pretty big chunk of change. And thoroughly unjust if you turn out to be not guilty.
(Score: 4, Informative) by takyon on Tuesday September 04 2018, @07:56AM (2 children)
So your bail is set at $100k. You lose $10k or have to rot in jail. Not a great outcome for poor people.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 04 2018, @10:07AM (1 child)
Not a great outcome for most people in the USA.
Seems more like you're picking an arbitrarily high bail amount just to argue against bail.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday September 04 2018, @10:48AM
Q: Who decides whether a bail amount is "arbitrary" or justified? A: Not California judges anymore.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]