Lawmakers in the California State Senate have passed legislation to release nearly all defendants from custody by creating the “absolute right” to bail – even for dangerous defendants.
Defendants facing charges for serious crimes would be released from jail should the new legislation pass. Some of those charges include:
- Domestic violence
- Felony sexual assault on a child
- Hate crimes
- Rape
- And more
Titled SB 262, the new law would undermine the will of voters who rejected a law similar to this one in 2020. This kind of legislation might be unconstitutional since it may violate the rights of victims.
Crime is on the rise in California, and the easier it is to get out of jail, the more crime we’ll likely see. SB 262 was introduced in 2021, fulfilling a promise by State Sen. Hertzberg to “bring back a zero bail bill.” The bill was pulled by Sen. Hertzberg last year after a transient who was out on bail raped and killed a Sacramento woman. Now that Hertzberg believes people forgot about that, the bill has been reintroduced.
Many of the state’s district attorneys are against zero bail, citing numerous cases where defendants out on bail went on to commit further crimes; some of them felonies, some of them serious.
Call or write to your state representative today and tell them to vote NO on SB 262. Keep bail where it is and abide by the will of voters. The state government will continue to try to craft legislation to eliminate or otherwise remove bail for all (or almost all) defendants – including dangerous felons and repeat offenders.
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