Gov. Jerry Brown signs overhaul of bail system, saying now 'rich and poor alike are treated fairly'
Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed a landmark bill to overhaul the state’s money-bail system, replacing it with one that grants judges greater power to decide who should remain incarcerated ahead of trial.
The two-year effort fulfills a pledge made by Brown last year when he stalled negotiations over the ambitious legislation, saying he would continue to work with lawmakers and the state’s top Supreme Court justice on the right approach to change the system. The new law puts California at the forefront of a national push to stop courts from imposing a heavy financial burden on defendants even before they have faced a jury.
“Today, California reforms its bail system so that rich and poor alike are treated fairly,” he said in a statement.
Top state officials, judges, probation officers and other proponents of the efforts lauded the new law.
➡️@JerryBrownGov Signs Legislation to Revamp California's Bail System, Protect Public Safety: https://t.co/MkgYsL3Nml #SB10 pic.twitter.com/eDJfKPd4Kv
— Gov. Brown Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 28, 2018
Senate Bill 10 would virtually eliminate the payment of money as a condition of release. Under last-minute changes, judges would have greater power to decide which people are a danger to the community and should be held without any possibility of release in a practice known as “preventive detention.”
But the historic passage of the bill has been bittersweet for lawmakers, as opponents — including some of the bill’s most ardent former supporters — argued the final version of the legislation could lead to more people behind bars.
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http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-may-2018-jerry-brown-bail-reform-law-1535485040-htmlstory.html