Tag: Cash Bail System
The system of cash bail for defendants is controversial. Opponents say those who cannot afford to pay languish in jails even if they have been charged with minor crimes. However, the system is being overhauled nationwide after Illinois became the first state to abolish it, and a large Texas jurisdiction is allowing people to be…
Harris County, the most populous place in Texas, has bowed to pressure to reform its bail practices and settle a federal lawsuit. County officials agreed with the move in late July, in a case Commissioner Rodney Ellis said was “as big as Brown v. Board of Education,” the Texas Tribune reported. Harris County has been…
Bail reform in Texas has been widely discussed after federal judges branded the system in Dallas and Houston unconstitutionally. The Texas House passed a reform bill to address the problem this month. The legislation would improve training for people who make bail decisions. Critics say it doesn’t go far enough. The Texas House approved a…
As PBS reports, the cash bail system is the norm in most states, but it is not without its critics. Everyone had heard the term “bail,” but do you really know what it means? In most jurisdictions in the country, when you’re arrested and charged with a crime, the court has the option to set…
If you have been charged with a criminal offense, and you believe the bail set in your case was unfair or discriminatory, it’s important to call a Texas criminal defense lawyer right away. Most people have a general idea of what bail is and how the cash bail system works. In some criminal cases, the…