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Harris County got rid of cash bail for minor crimes. GOP lawmakers want to walk that back.
March 6, 2021
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Recent reforms that let more people accused of minor offenses be released without posting cash bonds appear to be working, new research shows. But Houston area lawmakers want to roll them back.Kathy Willens, STF / Associated Press
Eager to resolve a federal civil rights lawsuit, Texas most populous county over the past two years has stopped requiring most people accused of low-level crimes from putting up cash to get out of jail on bond.
Tens of thousands of people accused of misdemeanors not involving some specific circumstances, like domestic abuse or previous bond violations, have been freed without cost while awaiting trial.
Harris County s bail reforms were put into place after federal courts rejected its largely cash-based system as unconstitutional. Credit: Evan L Roy/The Texas Tribune
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Eager to resolve a federal civil rights lawsuit, Texas most populous county over the past two years has stopped requiring most people accused of low-level crimes from putting up cash to get out of jail on bond.
Tens of thousands of people accused of misdemeanors not involving some specific circumstances, like domestic abuse or previous bond violations, have been freed without cost while awaiting trial.
<figcaption> Harris County's bail reforms were put into place after federal courts rejected its largely cash-based system as unconstitutional. <cite>Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune</cite>
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