A bipartisan group of representatives in the Pennsylvania General Assembly has introduced a resolution that would have the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing study bail in the state.
In announcing the proposed resolution, State Representative Tim Bonner noted that bail practices vary wildly across Pennsylvania. Although magistrates are supposed to consider releasing defendants on their own recognizance (without having to post money or property), three counties had issued no ROR bails over a two-year period.
The study is designed to compile data that will help magistrates balance the safety of the community against a defendant’s right to a presumption of innocence and reasonable bail.
Bickerton Law Blog Lawyer’s Take:
”The presumption of innocence is pretty much defeated if a person has to sit in jail while they wait for trial. It’s also important for justice to not depend on where a person happened to be arrested. If this proposed study will help create fair and uniform bail practices, it might be a good thing.”—Lea Bickerton
