SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA—California will become the first state to eliminate bail for suspects awaiting trial and replace it with a still murky risk-assessment system under a bill signed on Tuesday by Gov. Other states, including New Jersey, Alaska and New Mexico, have overhauled their bail systems, though no other state has completely eliminated bail. She said there’s not enough protection in the law to ensure it doesn’t perpetuate racial bias in the criminal justice system. The judge said her decision was tied to recent reforms that set a high bar for holding suspects without bail. Other states have been watching California as they weigh overhauling their bail systems, said Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, who works on criminal justice issues for the American Civil Liberties Union.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 29, 2018 23:03 UTC