California Supreme Court ends cash bail for some who cannot afford it
CNN
A California Supreme Court ruling will dramatically change the state's cash bail system by stating that some defendants may no longer be detained just because they cannot afford to post bail.
"The common practice of conditioning freedom solely on whether an arrestee can afford bail is unconstitutional," Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar wrote in the court's unanimous opinion Thursday. "Other conditions of release — such as electronic monitoring, regular check-ins with a pretrial case manager, community housing or shelter, and drug and alcohol treatment" are often enough, the ruling says. "The court must consider the arrestee's ability to pay the stated amount of bail — and may not effectively detain the arrestee 'solely because' " he or she can't post it.More Related News