A law intended to alter the way judges set bail for prospective offenders is on its way to Governor law Lee’s desk.
While some legislators claim it will increase public safety, others argue it would be unjust to people who are less wealthy. Currently, a court has a number of options when determining bail.
This covers factors like length of stay, work status, past criminal history, and likelihood of conviction. The new rule would prohibit courts from taking an individual’s financial situation into account.
Proponents claim that this element has made it possible for dangerous people to reappear on the street. Critics counter that poor defendants will suffer more as a result of this bill.
The average household income in the three Hamilton County ZIP codes with the highest arrest rates was less than $50,000 annually.
“This representative is proposing a bill that says look, let’s look at dangerous as dangerousness of that individual. How dangerous are they in the community?”
According to Shropshire, the Hamilton County Community bond Fund assists in releasing persons from jail who are unable to pay their bond. This organization has had an effect on him personally. According to him, this bill will really worsen public safety.
“We are already dealing with a overcrowding of the jail, right?” Shropshire says. “So if they do that, that’s more individuals that are gonna be in there. And that’s gonna get more crowded. So it’s not helping,” Shropshire said.
