A coalition of bondsmen has gathered signatures seeking to overturn California’s bail reform law, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The coalition said it submitted 200,000 more signatures than the 365,888 verified registered voter signatures required to place the repeal on the 2020 state ballot.
“The bail industry and its corporate insurance backers have spent millions qualifying this referendum to protect their ability to profit off a system that prioritizes imprisonment, regardless of guilt or innocence,” said Roxanne Sanchez, president of the Service Employees International Union of California.
Former governor Jerry Brown signed SB10 into law in August 2018, granting judges the power to decide who could be released without posting bail, based on their risk of reoffending and potential of returning to court for trial or escaping justice.
“SB10 is the perfect example of last-minute deal-making by the governor, the Legislature and labor unions absent input from all stakeholders,” said Jeff Clayton, a spokesman for the coalition.
Critics say the bail system keeps poor offenders locked up, while those who can afford to post bail are released, regardless of the serious nature of their crimes.
