7 ms·

For serious crimes, because criminals would flee. For non-serious crimes we really shouldn't. But "cashless bail" has downsides. People are more likely to ju

For serious crimes, because criminals would flee. For non-serious crimes we really shouldn't. But "cashless bail" has downsides. People are more likely to just skip hearings. Or they keep committing minor crimes because they don't view themselves as facing consequences.

freeone3000 6y ago
Skipping a hearing causes an arrest. It's not that you no longer have to show up, it's merely we'll take your word that you will (or we'll arrest you again) without requiring money up front.
- zepto 6y ago
  You can’t so easily arrest someone who has taken flight, since you don’t know where they are. Police generally don’t have a lot of resources to track people down.
  - freeone3000 6y ago
    blink That's... that's half their job. The vast majority of people who don't show up to court cases aren't criminal masterminds who have the resources to fly around the world, they're usually staying at their brother's or their cousin's. Or their own house. And you'd have to track the people down, deposit or not. The deposit doesn't change whether they show up.
    - zepto 6y ago
      What deposit are you talking about? And.. staying with your cousin isn’t “taking flight” - it’s just being a fool. It doesn’t take a criminal mastermind to evade the police. They don’t keep searching indefinitely.
      - freeone3000 6y ago
        The deposit you leave at the courthouse that you get back when you attend trial.
        chrisseaton 6y ago
        What you're talking about is called a 'bail bond'.
        zepto 6y ago
        Understood. I wasn’t talking about bail bonds. I was talking about remand.
        freeone3000 6y ago
        Systems without cash bail still have remand. It's reasonable to deem someone to dangerous or flighty to release. It's cruel to demand a legalized bribe for release.
        zepto 6y ago
        Fair point. I agree - this creates a 2 tier justice system.
DenisM 6y ago
> they keep committing minor crimes because they don't view themselves as facing consequences A speedy trial might help with that. And it's a great idea in any event.
dragonwriter 6y ago
> For serious crimes, because criminals would flee. That's a good reason for not going simple OR (own recognizance), and may in cases where there is more personal information beyond just a serious crime be part of why particular suspects ought not be considered for bail of any kind, but not a good reason, in any case, for a jail or cash-bail binary choice. > But "cashless bail" has downsides. People are more likely to just skip hearings. D.C. uses a no-cash-bail system, and IIRC does not see this compared to either when they used cash bail or to other jurisdictions that do. > Or they keep committing minor crimes because they don't view themselves as facing consequences. Again, I don't think there's evidence that this is the case, but insofar as it is, it seems it would be a speedy trial problem. (And/or a reason certain suspects ought not to be eligible for bail of any kind.)
chrisseaton 6y ago
> For serious crimes, because criminals would flee. Well if you weren't detaining them... 'fleeing' wouldn't be a thing so they couldn't flee and problem solved. As long as they turn up for their trial what's the problem? If they don't, prosecute them for that as well.

freeone3000 6y ago

Skipping a hearing causes an arrest. It's not that you no longer have to show up, it's merely we'll take your word that you will (or we'll arrest you again) without requiring money up front.

zepto 6y ago
You can’t so easily arrest someone who has taken flight, since you don’t know where they are. Police generally don’t have a lot of resources to track people down.
- freeone3000 6y ago
  blink That's... that's half their job. The vast majority of people who don't show up to court cases aren't criminal masterminds who have the resources to fly around the world, they're usually staying at their brother's or their cousin's. Or their own house. And you'd have to track the people down, deposit or not. The deposit doesn't change whether they show up.
  - zepto 6y ago
    What deposit are you talking about? And.. staying with your cousin isn’t “taking flight” - it’s just being a fool. It doesn’t take a criminal mastermind to evade the police. They don’t keep searching indefinitely.
    - freeone3000 6y ago
      The deposit you leave at the courthouse that you get back when you attend trial.
      - chrisseaton 6y ago
        What you're talking about is called a 'bail bond'.
      - zepto 6y ago
        Understood. I wasn’t talking about bail bonds. I was talking about remand.
        freeone3000 6y ago
        Systems without cash bail still have remand. It's reasonable to deem someone to dangerous or flighty to release. It's cruel to demand a legalized bribe for release.
        zepto 6y ago
        Fair point. I agree - this creates a 2 tier justice system.

DenisM 6y ago

> they keep committing minor crimes because they don't view themselves as facing consequences A speedy trial might help with that. And it's a great idea in any event.

dragonwriter 6y ago

> For serious crimes, because criminals would flee. That's a good reason for not going simple OR (own recognizance), and may in cases where there is more personal information beyond just a serious crime be part of why particular suspects ought not be considered for bail of any kind, but not a good reason, in any case, for a jail or cash-bail binary choice. > But "cashless bail" has downsides. People are more likely to just skip hearings. D.C. uses a no-cash-bail system, and IIRC does not see this compared to either when they used cash bail or to other jurisdictions that do. > Or they keep committing minor crimes because they don't view themselves as facing consequences. Again, I don't think there's evidence that this is the case, but insofar as it is, it seems it would be a speedy trial problem. (And/or a reason certain suspects ought not to be eligible for bail of any kind.)

chrisseaton 6y ago

> For serious crimes, because criminals would flee. Well if you weren't detaining them... 'fleeing' wouldn't be a thing so they couldn't flee and problem solved. As long as they turn up for their trial what's the problem? If they don't, prosecute them for that as well.