Sens. Kamala Harris and Rand Paul propose discouraging money bail for pretrial defendants

[TomSea]

Sens. Kamala Harris and Rand Paul propose discouraging money bail for pretrial defendants
Bartholomew D Sullivan, USA TODAY Published 12:51 p.m. ET July 20, 2017
Kamala Harris Rand Paul

WASHINGTON — Pretrial detention in jails across America costs taxpayers $38 million a day, according to a bill introduced Thursday by Sens. Kamala Harris and Rand Paul that proposes to give states and Indian tribes grants to encourage courts to replace the longstanding use of money bail.

The Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act would give local jurisdictions grants to transitions out of the system of bail bonding used to assure that defendants make court appearances. Harris, a California Democrat, and Paul, a libertarian-leaning Republican from Kentucky, maintain people should not be held in jail simply because they can’t pay for pretrial release.

“In our country, whether you stay in jail or not is wholly determined by whether you’re wealthy or not — and that’s wrong,” said Harris, a career prosecutor and former California attorney general.

“By giving states greater freedom to undertake reforms specific to their needs, our legislation will help strengthen protections for minority and low-income defendants, reduce waste and move our bail system toward more effective methods, such as individualized, risk-based assessments,” Paul said.

The bipartisan bill would make it the sense of Congress that unnecessary detention may be counterproductive, noting studies indicate that those detained for more than 24 hours and then released are less likely to reappear in court than those held less than 24 hours.

Citing a 1983 U.S. Supreme Court case, the bill notes the court found unconstitutional, and prohibited, “punishing a person for his poverty,” which Harris and Paul maintain can occurs with money bail. The consequences of pretrial ...

Continued: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/07/20/sens-kamala-harris-and-rand-paul-propose-discouraging-money-bail-pretrial-defendants/495784001/

[Frank Cannon]

Don't we have better shit to worry about than this garbage?

[Oceander]

Aka, the PIS Act.  They may want to rethink the title. 

[austingirl]

Don't we have better shit to worry about than this garbage?

But Senator Harris is getting her name out there for when she runs for POTUS.

[Wingnut]

Kamalia Harris is the flavor of the month.   


I hope Karma is Wearing spiked stilettos when she kicks Kamala in the ass.

[ABX]

Allows States and local jurisdictions to make the decision versus blanket statute. Don't really see a problem.

[Frank Cannon]

But Senator Harris is getting her name out there for when she runs for POTUS.

Exactly. This is nothing but a grandstanding move from two blow hards while a dozen other serious issues go ignored by congress.