Kentucky criminal justice leaders discuss reforming cash bail system
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A panel of judges, prosecutors and other leaders in Louisville’s criminal justice system participated in a community forum on Wednesday to discuss ideas on how to reform Kentucky’s cash bail system.Panelists included Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine, Louisville Metro Chief Public Defender Leo Smith, Jefferson County District Court Judge Josephine Buckner and Louisville Urban League President Sadiqa Reynolds.The panel collectively agreed that Kentucky’s cash bail system is broken and says it’s a penalty to the poor.”Many could say well, people should stop committing crimes, but we also have to acknowledge that people make mistakes,” Reynolds said. “We also have people in custody who are innocent, and by the way, everybody is innocent until proven guilty.”The Kentucky Constitution guarantees bail for all crimes, except capital offenses.”What it doesn’t say is bail must be affordable,” Wine said.Quintez Brown case: Judge rules man suspected of shooting at mayoral candidate can go to psychiatric hospitalOffenders who are less fortunate are more likely to stay in jail because they cannot afford to get out. Reynolds said expenses resulting from the criminal justice system continue beyond the inability to afford bail.”When you think about things like being released from custody and having to pay for home incarceration, that is a tax on poor people,” she said. “When you think about a $500 bond, when you think about being held in custody for 10 days, well a lot of people lose their job in those 10 days.”There are also efforts to change who can pay bail, such as House Bill 313, which would not allow charitable groups to pay bail for some offenses.”The fact that we’re discussing bail at all is usually when there is a high-profile case of someone who gets access to funds,” Reynolds said. “We’ve had that in our community recently.”Reynolds, a former judge, is referring to the case of Quintez Brown, who is accused of shooting at Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg. He was released from jail after a community bail organization paid his $100,000 dollar bond.”The reality is wealthy people have been posting bail for many cases, in fact, they were likely to be ROR,” she said.”ROR,” or released on own recognizance, is when a defendant does not have to post bail and instead promises a judge that they’ll show up to court. This was one reform idea suggested by the panelist. They also discussed eliminating the cash bail process altogether.Wine notes states such as New Jersey have implemented the cashless bail model and have seen no negative impacts such as a surge in crime. But, the legal experts say the starting point for change is these conversations surrounding poverty and correcting inequities that exist in the criminal justice system overall.”When do I think this system will be fixed? I think it won’t necessarily be in my lifetime,” Reynolds said. “But, I think the bail reform system will be fixed in a couple of years.”
A panel of judges, prosecutors and other leaders in Louisville’s criminal justice system participated in a community forum on Wednesday to discuss ideas on how to reform Kentucky’s cash bail system.
Panelists included Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine, Louisville Metro Chief Public Defender Leo Smith, Jefferson County District Court Judge Josephine Buckner and Louisville Urban League President Sadiqa Reynolds.
The panel collectively agreed that Kentucky’s cash bail system is broken and says it’s a penalty to the poor.
“Many could say well, people should stop committing crimes, but we also have to acknowledge that people make mistakes,” Reynolds said. “We also have people in custody who are innocent, and by the way, everybody is innocent until proven guilty.”
The Kentucky Constitution guarantees bail for all crimes, except capital offenses.
“What it doesn’t say is bail must be affordable,” Wine said.
Quintez Brown case: Judge rules man suspected of shooting at mayoral candidate can go to psychiatric hospital
Offenders who are less fortunate are more likely to stay in jail because they cannot afford to get out. Reynolds said expenses resulting from the criminal justice system continue beyond the inability to afford bail.
“When you think about things like being released from custody and having to pay for home incarceration, that is a tax on poor people,” she said. “When you think about a $500 bond, when you think about being held in custody for 10 days, well a lot of people lose their job in those 10 days.”
There are also efforts to change who can pay bail, such as House Bill 313, which would not allow charitable groups to pay bail for some offenses.
“The fact that we’re discussing bail at all is usually when there is a high-profile case of someone who gets access to funds,” Reynolds said. “We’ve had that in our community recently.”
Reynolds, a former judge, is referring to the case of Quintez Brown, who is accused of shooting at Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg. He was released from jail after a community bail organization paid his $100,000 dollar bond.
“The reality is wealthy people have been posting bail for many cases, in fact, they were likely to be ROR,” she said.
“ROR,” or released on own recognizance, is when a defendant does not have to post bail and instead promises a judge that they’ll show up to court. This was one reform idea suggested by the panelist. They also discussed eliminating the cash bail process altogether.
Wine notes states such as New Jersey have implemented the cashless bail model and have seen no negative impacts such as a surge in crime. But, the legal experts say the starting point for change is these conversations surrounding poverty and correcting inequities that exist in the criminal justice system overall.
“When do I think this system will be fixed? I think it won’t necessarily be in my lifetime,” Reynolds said. “But, I think the bail reform system will be fixed in a couple of years.”
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