Our view: Ohio’s unfair bail system is akin to debtors’ jail
This originally appeared on Dispatch.com on August 8, 2021. You can never get a day back. We imagine that reality is not lost on people such as Anthony C. Wofford III. Before being acquitted on April 16, he was stuck in jail for nearly 1,156 days on charges accusing him of killing his boyfriend. And…
Continue Reading Our view: Ohio’s unfair bail system is akin to debtors’ jail
Opinion: Prosecutor has it way wrong, bills would ‘fix dangerous system where the rich walk free and the poor are relegated to jail’
This originally appeared on Dispatch.com on June 26, 2021. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters’ recent attack on bail reform (“Ohio prosecutor: Bail reform bills not the answer to crime,” July 22) reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the legislation I co-sponsor. While I share Mr. Deters concerns that we should not make excuses for bad behavior,…
Republicans, Democrats say Ohio’s current cash bail system traps people behind bars
This originally appeared on Dispatch.com on May 19, 2021. Sixty percent of people sitting in Ohio jails have never been convicted of a crime. They’re there because they can’t afford to make bail, Rep. David Leland, D-Columbus, said. “What happens to those people?” A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers says those folks can sit in…
Continue Reading Republicans, Democrats say Ohio’s current cash bail system traps people behind bars
Opinion: Ohio’ flawed justice system allows some to buy freedom, others to wait in jail
This originally appeared on Dispatch.com on May 15, 2021. Written by Andrew J. Geisler . Individuals accused of crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty. But Ohio’s overreliance on cash bail means this bedrock principle of our criminal justice system all too often is more theory than practice. The Ohio Supreme Court’s recent updates to…
Ohioans overwhelmingly support criminal justice and bail reforms
This originally appeared on Cleveland.com on March 24, 2021. Written by Micah Derry and Claire Chevrier. CLEVELAND — Seventy-five percent of Ohio voters believe Ohio’s criminal justice system needs reform. According to Brian Tringali from The Tarrance Group, the conservative firm that conducted the new poll that reveals this, “it’s hard to get 75% of…
Continue Reading Ohioans overwhelmingly support criminal justice and bail reforms