The Battle Over Bail Reform: How 5 Courts are Coping with the Challenge

Court Leader's Advantage

Tuesday, October 19, 2021, Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode

The national movement to reduce or eliminate cash bail continues to spark heated discussion. Several states, including New Jersey and Alaska, have instituted bail reform. Other states such as California have repeatedly seen attempts at reform fail, either in the legislature or at the ballot box. Proponents argue that bail criminalize poverty. Bail doesn’t keep the most dangerous in jail, it keeps the poorest. Opponents point to reported instances where bail reform was followed by an uptick in crime.

This month we are looking at the ongoing debate over bail reform and the pivotal role that courts play in this discussion. Some of the questions we will explore include:

· What are courts doing now about bail reform?

· What role does generating revenue have in the debate over bail?

· How do risk assessment algorithms play into this discussion?

· What advice do our panelists have for the rest of us regarding courts and bail reform?

Our panel today includes:

· The Honorable Paul Farr, Judge with the Herriman, Sandy, and Alta Municipal Courts in Salt Lake County, Utah;

· Elizabeth Rambo, Trial Court Administrator for the Lane Country Trial Courts in Eugene, Oregon;

· The Honorable Ed Spillane, Presiding Judge of the Municipal Court in College Station, Texas; and

· Courtney Whiteside, Court Administrator of the Municipal Court in St. Louis, Missouri;

· Alexzandria Poole, Interim Senior Trial Attorney with Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit.