Los Angeles County Rescinds Zero Bail Policy as DA George Gascon Faces Recall
Los Angeles County is set to officially rescind on Thursday its controversial zero bail policy that put criminal suspects back on the streets before trial. The decision comes as embattled District Attorney George Gascon faces a possible recall election this fall in the face of soaring crime...
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Los Angeles County is set to officially rescind on Thursday its controversial zero bail policy that put criminal suspects back on the streets before trial. The decision comes as embattled District Attorney George Gascon faces a possible recall election this fall in the face of soaring crime throughout the L.A. area.
The zero bail policy will expire at the close of business on Thursday, according to an internal e-mail obtained by Breitbart News. Prosecutors will now be able to seek cash bails for defendants accused of misdemeanors and low-level felonies who would have been released at $0 under the old rule.
The L.A. District Attorney’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment from Breitbart News.
Under the zero bail policy, prosecutors were forbidden from seeking cash bail for most misdemeanors and low-level felonies, including smash-and-grab robberies that have plagued L.A. County in recent months. The policy was put in place in mid-2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, officially as a way of reducing the county’s prison population.
The policy has remained in effect despite the decline of the pandemic. Some have blamed now-D.A. George Gascon, citing his soft-on-crime approach to criminal justice reform that includes his plan to eliminate all money bail in the county.
“Money bail is as unjust as it is unsafe,” he said. “It can destroy families and it weakens our communities.”
The result has been an enormous spike in crime throughout L.A. ,with robberies up 18 percent so far this year and armed robberies up a stunning 44 percent in L.A. city.
