Aren’t inmates held pretrial only because they can’t afford bail?

Why don’t we eliminate cash bail in Whatcom County?

“Most defendants in Whatcom are released pretrial without cash bail. If there’s evidence that a defendant will commit other crimes, or fail to come to court, the court will impose a modest bail — creating a financial incentive for the defendant to comply with the court’s orders and stay out of criminal trouble while awaiting trial.

Even in these cases, rather than requiring a defendant to purchase a bail bond from a commercial bail company, the court generally permits a cash payment of 10% of the bond amount, to be kept by the court and refunded if the defendant follows the court’s pretrial conditions (usually, attending required hearings, avoiding new criminal charges and, in some cases, staying away from victims or witnesses).

Washington’s Constitution requires a bail bond for all crimes except murder. To eliminate cash bail requires a constitutional amendment, not an order of our local courts.”

From an article by Retired Whatcom Superior Court Judge Deborra Garrett

Image: Yelp