NYT – Top Judge Says Bail in New York Isn’t Safe or Fair

The New York Times Reports that in his annual State of the Judiciary address in Albany, Cheif Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, Jonathan Lippman argued “that the bail system was stacked against those accused of minor crimes, keeping them in jail at great personal hardship and weakening their resolve in plea negotiations. The judge called that outcome ‘unfair’ and said it ‘strips our justice system of its credibility.'”

The article concluded,  “’You do the math,’ the judge said. ‘There is enormous potential savings if we can figure out how to safely and responsibly keep nonviolent defendants in the community while their cases are pending.'”

Russ Buettner, “Top Judge Says Bail in New York Isn’t Safe or Fair,” The New York Times. February 5, 2013.
Judge Jonathan Lippman Seeks to Overhaul Bail Process – NYTimes.com
Jonathan Lippman, the state’s chief judge, said the system unfairly detained many people and did not allow judges to consider public safety when determining bail.

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