California Bail Agents Association's response to AG Xavier Becerra's Announcement on Bail Decisions

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Bail Agent's Association (CBAA) issued a statement regarding AG Xavier Becerra's announcement on Bail Decisions. Becerra cited a criminal case in which a defendant has been held in San Francisco on a $350K bail amount since May of 2017. The court granted the motion to release the defendant (Humphrey) on his own recognizance with no monetary incentive to appear in court. Becerra declined to appeal the this ruling in an effort to support a political agenda to end the cash bail system. This was intended to bypass due process and set a case precedence for bail hearings in the state.

By making a clear political chose not to appeal the Humphrey decision, he is choosing political expediency over accountability. In the criminal complaint, Humphrey was held to answer on four counts including robbery and residential burglary. What the AG failed to mention was that Humphrey has four prior strike offenses.  This assures a heavy sentence and more reasons to fail to appear in court.

In addition, this defendant poses a public safety threat to the community. He stalked a senior citizen, broke into the sanctuary of his home, threatened him with grave bodily harm and robbed him of $5.00 and a bottle of cologne.  To support the cause of Humphrey in this case, demonstrates his desire to decriminalize crime in California and burden taxpayers with the high cost of failure to appear.

AG Becerra made the statement that cash bail does not prevent future crime and therefore cash bail should be eliminated. According to CBAA, AG Becerra is confusing public safety with court compliance. A bail amount does not prevent crime; it is only a mechanism to compel an offender to appear in court until sentencing. It is the job of the judge to determine how best to protect the community by imposing conditions of release.

The cash bail system protects tax payers from the heavy costs of non-compliance of criminal offenders.

https://m.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Court-ruling-could-change-state-s-approach-to-12526554.php

HUMPHREY MOTION: https://www.siliconvalleydebug.org/stories/humphrey-decision

SF BAIL SCHEDULE: http://www.sfsuperiorcourt.org/sites/default/files/images/Bail%20Schedule%20--%202017.pdf

SOURCE California Bail Agents Association