A controversial new legislation barring judges from setting bail in most prison instances took impact in Los Angeles County on Sunday — elevating widespread fears it’ll inevitably result in a spike in crime.
The bail reform measure in southern California — eerily just like New York’s much-maligned prison justice reforms — was met with fierce backlash from legislation enforcement and a serious lawsuit, in accordance with a report by KTLA-TV Information.
Twelve cities within the county sued on Friday to dam the legislation – with extra municipalities anticipated to comply with.
“As quickly as different cities in Los Angeles County find out about it, I’m certain we’ll have extra assist,” mentioned Glendora Mayor Gary Boyer, one of many dozen plaintiffs.
“However our massive hope could be to overturn the zero bail coverage or not less than put a pause on it in order that we’ve the power to take a more durable look and discover out whether or not or not that is the best factor to do,” Boyer informed the outlet.
The endeavor, formally known as the Pre-Arraignment Launch Protocols, or PARP, largely eliminates the normal bail system by prohibiting bail for many crimes – a revival of an emergency measure first put in place in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic to forestall jail overcrowding.
In Might, an LA decide issued a preliminary injunction basically reinstating the coverage – with a Los Angeles Superior Court docket decide upholding the choice in July, Fox affiliate KTTV-TV mentioned in a report.
“An individual’s skill to pay a big sum of cash shouldn’t be the figuring out think about deciding whether or not that particular person, who’s presumed harmless, stays in jail earlier than path or is launched,” Presiding Decide Samantha Jessner wrote within the second ruling.
Supporters of the reform measure argue that it’ll not influence the crime fee.
A report by the Judicial Council of California decided {that a} zero-bail coverage would truly scale back crime. The examine decided {that a} comparable legislation would lead to a 5.8% drop in defendants being rearrested for a misdemeanor and a 2.4% drop in rearrests for felonies, KTTV reported.
However critics, together with lawmakers on the county’s Board of Supervisors, mentioned the transfer has sparked worry amongst residents.
“Residents don’t really feel secure,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger informed the outlet.
“One solely has to activate the TV every morning and listen to what occurred the day earlier than, whether or not it’s a smash-and-grab, a carjacking, a housebreaking, an armed theft,” she mentioned.
“Folks need to know the way that is going to influence crime on the road.”
New York’s 2019 prison justice reforms sparked comparable considerations within the Empire State, with critics citing the legislation as one motive for a disturbing spike in crime within the Large Apple.
That legislation, which has since been tweaked so as to add extra bail-eligible offenses, stays some extent of political debate in Albany and the topic of controversy on the streets of the state.
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