... in favor of a policy - bail reform - which is a political football these days. He shows people who were innocent of the charges against them but who could not post bail and thus lingered in jail for sometimes years. This was the case for one young man who was charged with stealing a backpack and then placed in Rikers for three years. He was then released without explanation and charges dropped. How this young man's story played out resulted in tragedy.
I agree that somebody's ability to post bail doesn't make them not a threat to the community, but some of these laws take decisions away from judges who are supposed to be able to make them. Why do we call them judges if they are in fact just technicians following a strict inflexible law?
The one weak point in John's argument was something he did not discuss - the role of the prosecutor in how the accused gets charged. Take the case of the 31 year-old who, in September, trashed a Manhattan McDonalds with an axe and who pushed another customer to the floor. He was arraigned on a lower charge of fourth-degree criminal mischief and possession-of-weapons charges hours later and freed without having to post any bond.
A month later, this same man was again arrested spraying graffiti on a wall. But not before he stole a 3500 dollar bike and attempted to flee. This guy is a menace and needs to be locked up awaiting trial, but given the low level charges the DA brought ,the judge's hands were tied.
I agree that somebody's ability to post bail doesn't make them not a threat to the community, but some of these laws take decisions away from judges who are supposed to be able to make them. Why do we call them judges if they are in fact just technicians following a strict inflexible law?
The one weak point in John's argument was something he did not discuss - the role of the prosecutor in how the accused gets charged. Take the case of the 31 year-old who, in September, trashed a Manhattan McDonalds with an axe and who pushed another customer to the floor. He was arraigned on a lower charge of fourth-degree criminal mischief and possession-of-weapons charges hours later and freed without having to post any bond.
A month later, this same man was again arrested spraying graffiti on a wall. But not before he stole a 3500 dollar bike and attempted to flee. This guy is a menace and needs to be locked up awaiting trial, but given the low level charges the DA brought ,the judge's hands were tied.
