Austin American-Statesman: Bail is big topic in Travis County DA’s race. What is it? How does it relate to public safety?
March 10, 2024
Bail has become a central talking point in the Travis County district attorney's race as candidates spar over approaches to public safety. In 2021, the Legislature passed a law requiring cash bail for…
Travis County
Bail has become a central talking point in the Travis County district attorney’s race as candidates spar over approaches to public safety.
There has been a long-standing movement to eliminate cash bail, which advocates like Krish Gundu of Texas Jail Project argue creates a “two-tiered system” that advantages wealthier defendants.
In 2021, the Legislature passed a law requiring cash bail for people accused of violent crimes. However, there is a growing national progressive movement for eliminating the practice.
Rev. Jacilet Griffin Lee, mother of Evan lee who died in custody in Harris county jail, testifying at the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence in 2023
Eliminating cash bail, Cogliano argued, would eliminate wealth from the equation and allow someone’s release from jail to solely rest on whether they pose a risk to the community or might abscond.
Full Article at Austin American-Statesman