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posted by martyb on Monday September 03 2018, @09:52PM   Printer-friendly
from the Rich-and-poor-treated-the-same dept.

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


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  • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Tuesday September 04 2018, @06:44AM (3 children)

    by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday September 04 2018, @06:44AM (#730131) Journal

    The OP specifically said he wanted to bookmark a page first or "an airplane will fall from the sky!"

    Most people working in aviation security don't have office space in McDonalds. What was said was interpreted - quite reasonably, IMHO - as a threat. After all, the US does have something of a history of aircraft falling from the sky with horrific effect. He could have pressed Ctrl-D to bookmark the page while closing the computer lid without anyone taking any further action. Appearing to disobey a policeman is rarely a good idea.

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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 04 2018, @08:04AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 04 2018, @08:04AM (#730155)

    Appearing to disobey a policeman is rarely a good idea.

    And the fact that so many people just accept that axiom as true is the problem. It gives police unwarranted expectations of cooperation and a righteous feeling when punishing any uncooperative person. The default should be "is he breaking a law" along with "is this a reasonable application of the law" and police should 100% SUCK IT UP if someone is rude to them. Are they assaulting the police? No? No problem. Are they breaking the law? No? No problem.

    If police escalate a situation where no law has been broken then THEY have broken the law and should lose their jobs. Police work is one of the few areas in which we allow violence against citizens, and that responsibility should be taken more seriously than the "tough on crime" bullshit.

    • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Tuesday September 04 2018, @11:34AM

      by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday September 04 2018, @11:34AM (#730187) Journal

      MDC had no inherent right to occupy a seat in McDonalds. They can choose who they serve and who they don't. It is private property. If the manager of the establishment has asked MDC to leave, he doesn't do so, and the police are subsequently called, they have every right to assist the manager in getting you to leave. The police are trying to move you on while avoiding what we Brits call 'a breach of the peace'. They asked MDC to leave, he asked to be given more time to complete what he was doing and also issued a statement that could be construed as a threat. The police did not use 'violence' against a citizen - when MDC became a smart-ass he was arrested.

      He should have pressed Ctrl-D to bookmark his work, closed his laptop, and walked....

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 04 2018, @08:12AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 04 2018, @08:12AM (#730158)

    Most people working in aviation security don't have office space in McDonalds.

    And there's no way in hell an aviation security to use McDonalds for some time to do the work.
    Because it's forbidden or something.