Local court and jail costs can be reduced through bail reform

By

John Caniglia detailed the costs of keeping the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court open during COVID-19 (”‘It could take months to catch up’ on backload of court cases,” Jan. 9).  But what about the costs of being detained in Cuyahoga County Jail for months pretrial before your day in court?

There is a solution which has been introduced into the Ohio legislature by both Republicans and Democrats -- House Bill 315 and companion bill Senate Bill 182. This legislation says that no one should remain in jail simply because of inability to pay a money bond. This concept is supported by the Ohio Supreme Court (Rule 5.02), Cuyahoga County Bail Task Force (2018) and most Ohioans (American Civil Liberties Union survey in 2021). What are we waiting for?

Patricia Whiting Dillard,

Cleveland Heights

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

X

Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information

If you opt out, we won’t sell or share your personal information to inform the ads you see. You may still see interest-based ads if your information is sold or shared by other companies or was sold or shared previously.