Updates

Assembly Bill 42 currently sits in the California Legislature.  The measure would reform the current bail system in California and promote a system of pretrial release that could have grave consequences for the public-at-large.  Public safety was one of the primary concerns when bail was established.  Bail weighed the rights of a defendant with the […]

A Los Angeles County Judge set bail at $10 Million for the father of a missing 5-year-old boy.  Aramazd Andressian was found unresponsive in Arroyo Park.  His son has not been seen since visiting his father.  The 5-year-old’s mother called police after Aramazd Andressian, Jr. did not return from a visitation with his father.  The

Dog the Bounty Hunter and Beth Chapman, best known for their reality TV Show have joined the fight against bail reform in California voicing opposition to Assembly Bill 42 which would drastically change the bail system.  The bill, introduced by Rob Bonta of Oakland, would limit the ability of judges to place bail as a

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department believes that they have caught a gang of men responsible for a number of burglaries across Los Angeles.  The men were arrested in Santa Barbara after they were believed to have been involved in two similar burglaries in the coastal town.  The men between 20 and 27 years old

Former Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva had his bail reduced from $1 million to $350,000 last month by a San Joaquin County judge.  He was arrested on March 5 at San Francisco International Airport for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars that was intended for the Stockton Boys and Girls Club and the Kids Club. 

Today, bail has gotten a bad rap.  A really bad rap.  If something is wrong with the criminal justice system, it must be bail.  The reality is that bail plays an important role in our criminal justice system.  It is crucial and has been since our nation was founded.  It was so important that the

Food-4-Less security cameras appear to show Chiengkham “Cindy” Vilaysane abandoning her 2-year-old daughter at the grocery store in Riverside, California earlier this month.  The story caught national attention because of it’s unusual nature.  According to police reports, the toddler wandered off shortly after entering the store with her mother.  A good Samaritan then brought the

A federal judge has granted the California Bail Agents Association to defend the California Bail System in a federal lawsuit challenging its constitutionality.  The lawsuit was filed in San Francisco against San Francisco Sheriff Vicki Hennessy.  Last week, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez allowed the Bail Agents Association the right to defend the current bail

Why Victim’s Rights are being left out of the Equation Recently, Nina Salarno Besselman, President of Crime Victims United, addressed the California Department of Insurance regarding bail reform.  She is a respected crime victims advocate and former Deputy District Attorney.  Her organization, Crime Victims United is based in California giving a voice to victims who

Orange County District Attorney, Tony Rackauckas recently addressed the California Department of Insurance regarding bail.  He was the first speaker in a panel labeled “Options for Reform of California’s Bail System.”  Mr. Rackauckas introduced himself with a brief synopsis of his 40-year career in the criminal justice system including work as a judge, prosecutor, defense