News Release

Chief Justice Issues Statement on Bail Reform

Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye joins Governor Brown, Senator Hertzberg and Assemblymember Bonta in a commitment to cooperate on reforms.
Aug 25, 2017

Today, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye joined Governor Jerry Brown, Senator Bob Hertzberg and Assemblymember Rob Bonta in a joint statement committing to work together on reforms to the state's bail system "that prioritize public safety and cost-efficiency."

Said Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye: “During my State of the Judiciary address last year I suggested that the current bail system may not effectively serve its intended purpose of protecting public safety and ensuring court appearance without disproportionately impacting low-income Californians. I subsequently appointed a Pretrial Detention Reform Workgroup to study current pretrial detention practices and provide recommendations for potential reforms. I look forward to sharing these recommendations with the Governor and Legislature as we work together to improve our bail system."

Discussions will continue throughout the fall on Senate Bill 10 the California Money Bail Reform Act of 2017 which is authored by Senator Hertzberg and Assemblymember Bonta. The bill will be revisited in early 2018.

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