SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Senator Bob Hertzberg and Assemblymember Rob Bonta today committed to working together on reforms to California’s bail system that prioritize public safety and cost-efficiency.
Discussions regarding the current legislation – SB 10, the California Money Bail Reform Act of 2017, authored by Senator Hertzberg and Assemblymember Bonta – will continue throughout the fall and the bill will be revisited early next year, in the second year of the two-year legislative session.
“I believe that inequities exist in California’s bail system and I look forward to working this fall on ways to reform the system in a cost-effective and fair manner, considering public safety as well as the rights of the accused,” said Governor Brown.
“During my State of the Judiciary address last year I suggested that the current bail system may not effectively serve its intended purpose of protecting public safety and ensuring court appearance without disproportionately impacting low-income Californians. I subsequently appointed a Pretrial Detention Reform Work Group to study current pretrial detention practices and provide recommendations for potential reforms. I look forward to sharing these recommendations with the Governor and Legislature as we work together to improve our bail system,” said Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye.
“The truth is today, under the cash bail system, if you can write a check, public safety doesn’t matter. We need a system that prioritizes public safety and restores justice to the pretrial process, regardless of income level. Working with the Governor and the Chief Justice, we will find the right balance by fine-tuning the details in SB 10. This also gives us additional time to further investigate the bail market in California,” said Senator Hertzberg.
“Our momentum in support of bail reform continues to grow. We are very grateful to the Governor and the Chief Justice for recognizing the need to prioritize this legislation and for their unprecedented commitment to partner with us in creating reform that enhances public safety and ensures equal justice,” said Assemblymember Bonta.