Will California do away with bail?

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Podcasts Take Two

Apr 6, 2017

Listen • 9:22

Will California do away with bail?

Legislators in California have been working to change a fundamental aspect of criminal procedure in the state - change how courts deal with monetary bail.

File: Sen. Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, urges lawmakers to approve a measure that would allow actors, actresses and directors to ask that their ages and birthdates be removed from websites, like IMDb, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, in Sacramento.

Legislators in California have been working to change a fundamental aspect of criminal procedure in the state - change how courts deal with monetary bail.

When someone is arrested in California, there process looks a little like this; there's a bail hearing, and if they can pull it off, they post the bail or secure a bail bond and are released.

If they can't, they're stuck behind bars until a trial is scheduled.

Now, some lawmakers in California are working to change this process, which they say is biased against lower income people.

One of those is California State Senator Bob Hertzberg, he's the lead author behind the proposed legislation known as SB 10, and he joined Take Two to talk about it.