- Moderator
- #1
I was initially a supporter of zero bail only because I knew someone who several years back was falsely accused of a crime, arrested, and spent the night in jail. He didn't have a lot of money at the time, but he was fortunate enough to have middle class parents he could call the next morning who were able to post his bail. There are a lot of lower income people out there, however, who don't have that option. Had he not had that option, he would have sat in jail for three months until his trial date at which the ADA dropped the case against him anyway because she said the witness was unreliable. Despite that, he still had to pay his parents back for posting the bail, not to mention the attorney's fees, so he was out $5k over a false accusation.
We have a justice system for the wealthy and the poor get jammed up in the system all the time, so I thought the idea of zero bail had merit because it allowed everyone to be on even footing. However, New York went through with this experiment and it's been a monumental disaster. Petty crime skyrocketed in the aftermath and dangerous people are routinely let out on the streets and Los Angeles will be no different. We went from one extreme to the other, but I still think some reform needs to be made so those who are disadvantaged don't get caught up in the system. There has to be a happy medium somewhere.
We have a justice system for the wealthy and the poor get jammed up in the system all the time, so I thought the idea of zero bail had merit because it allowed everyone to be on even footing. However, New York went through with this experiment and it's been a monumental disaster. Petty crime skyrocketed in the aftermath and dangerous people are routinely let out on the streets and Los Angeles will be no different. We went from one extreme to the other, but I still think some reform needs to be made so those who are disadvantaged don't get caught up in the system. There has to be a happy medium somewhere.
Zero-bail policy takes effect in Los Angeles County, ending traditional cash system
A controversial zero-bail policy is now in effect in Los Angeles County, ending the years-long standard of setting cash bail amounts for defendants.
abc7.com