News Releases
April 20, 2021: District Attorney Gascón Commends Board Supervisors Motion on Cash Bail
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Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón issued the following statement today regarding Supervisor Sheila Kuehl’s motion before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors regarding the implementation of the California Supreme Court’s Humphrey decision on cash bail:
“I want to thank the Board of Supervisors for making the elimination of cash bail a priority in Los Angeles County. Implementing the California Supreme Court’s decision in the Humphrey case is vital to our continuing effort to address historic inequities in our criminal justice system.
Together, we will end an unjust practice that allows some people to purchase their freedom no matter how dangerous they may be. Meanwhile, people who are not considered dangerous are kept behind bars while awaiting trial simply because they cannot afford to post bail. That imbalance harms not only individuals who may lose jobs, housing and families while incarcerated, but also shakes the stability of entire communities of color, whose members are disproportionately affected by these long-standing practices.
On my first day in office, we implemented policies to ensure that we were keeping our communities safe, while working within the constitutional demands for equal protection under the law.”
To read the board motion, click here:
http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/157463.pdf
To read the District Attorney’s statement on the state Supreme Court ruling, click here:
