(Twenty-nine cities and counting in Los Angeles County are suing the county over its zero-bail policy that went into effect at the beginning of the month as the result of another lawsuit.
In their lawsuit, the cities allege the new policy, implemented on Oct. 1, does not “take into consideration the protection of the public, the safety of the victim, the seriousness of the offense charged, the previous criminal record of the defendant, and the probability of his or her appearing at the trial or hearing of the case.”
Under the new bail schedule, assault, stalking, domestic battery and violation of a protective order will still require cash bail, while human trafficking, battery on a peace officer and sex with a minor will trigger judicial review.
However, most individuals arrested for most offenses will either be cited and released at the site of their arrest, or booked and released at the law enforcement office with orders to appear in court for arraignment on a set date.
In response to the lawsuit, Associate Director Claire Simonich of Vera California, the state branch of national criminal justice reform organization the Vera Institute of Justice, told the Center Square that the data did not support what its opponents say, and that zero-cash-bail was a safe and effective criminal policy.
“The opponents are not only drowning out the factual data on the policy, but the years of research on not just Los Angeles County but in areas across the country that show ending money bail and ensuring public safety go hand-in-hand,” Simonich claimed.
“A similar version of the policy has been in effect on and off for the last three years in Los Angeles County,” she added. “Violent crime and property crime effectively dropped or remained unchanged compared to the two years before the policy was in place.”
Los Angeles County ostensibly instituted a zero-bail policy at first to reduce incarceration-driven COVD-19 infections during the pandemic.
However, critics have noted the coicidental overlap between the pandemic’s emergency measures and the Marxist-based objectives of many subversive left-wing organizations affiliated with George Soros’s globalist agenda, which seeks to destabilize America’s legal and political framework at every level, often using racial “equity” as its pretense.
After ending the policy, Los Angeles County was ordered to re-adopt the policy due to “dismal” pre-trial detention conditions.
A broad coalition has emerged challenging the policy, ranging from Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna to Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami, a leading candidate challenging Soros-backed Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon in the 2024 election.
“Our communities have not been shy about telling us how nervous they are about this change,” Luna told the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors regarding the policy.
“Crime victims who see offenders immediately released from custody are left with little confidence in the criminal justice system,” he continued. “I understand the need to respect the constitutional rights of arrestees, but zero-bail can demoralize deputies and police officers who work hard to make arrests, only to watch the offender walk away with a citation as the victim looks on in disbelief.”
Hatami, told the Center Square that none of the 29 plaintiffs sought a bail system that kept people incarcerated unjustly, but overcompensating by releasing dangerous criminals onto the streets was not the answer.
“All of us want a bail policy that is fair and just for every resident of LA County. That, however, should be done in collaboration with the 88 cities and their residents, victim groups and law enforcement agencies that are going to be directly affected by immediately releasing individuals who are arrested for crimes,” he said.
“No one supports oppressive bail,” he added. “However, most of us don’t support repeat offenders who have been negatively impacting our communities, families and businesses either. In any bail policy, public safety should be the priority.”
Among the 29 cities are a diverse number of cities ranging from progressive Santa Monica to Beverly Hills. A court hearing is set for December.
Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.
