California Becomes First US State to Eliminate Bail for Suspects Awaiting Trial

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The new law, which will take effect on October 1, 2019, will replace bail with a new system for determining a defendant’s custody status while they await trial, Governor Edmund Brown's office said in a news release on Tuesday.

New legislation just signed into law in the US State of California will eliminate the system of cash bail payments that allows criminal suspects to be released before trial and replace it with a scheme that prioritizes public safety, Governor Edmund Brown's office said. In particular, the system will be based on an assessment of risk to public safety and probability of missing a court date rather than their ability to pay cash bail.

"Taking action to revamp California's bail system, Governor Edmund Brown Jr. today signed Senate Bill Ten, the California Money Bail Reform Act, which preserves the rights of the accused, while prioritizing public safety," the release said.

"Money bail has promoted a system of separate and unequal justice. SB 10 puts all Californians on equal footing before the law and makes public safety the only consideration in pre-trial detention. This critical reform is long overdue," Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins said in the release.

California State Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sekauye said in the release that the old system of money bail had proven to be outdated, unsafe and unfair.

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