AdvertisementThe latest object of the law enforcement establishment’s scorn and anxiety is the state Judicial Council’s zero-dollar bail order. Issued April 6, it resets to zero the presumptive bail amount for people arrested for misdemeanors and many nonviolent felonies. Repeat offenders are obviously high risks to commit more crimes, and as the Court of Appeals made clear, zero-dollar bail does not require “cite and release.” Bring them to a judge. Again, zero-dollar bail applies to people who’ve merely been accused. There’s an important discussion to be had about reducing incarceration in the United States, but the extremely modest and sensible zero-dollar bail order hardly falls under that topic.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 27, 2020 09:56 UTC