Los Angeles County has reinstated a Zero Bail schedule following a ruling by a Superior Court judge that deemed the cash bail system unconstitutional. The notion that bail shouldn’t be for certain crimes, including non-violent ones, has sparked concerns.

In the past few years, California legislators have reclassified several dozen crimes as non-violent. These newly classified “non-violent” crimes include human trafficking, domestic violence, and rape of an unconscious person, even if the perpetrator rendered the victim unconscious.

The decision to return to a $0 bail system has been criticized, particularly by Deputy District Attorney Eric Siddall, who expressed concerns about the implications. Siddall noted that under the current system, individuals engaged in crimes such as smash-and-grab robberies could be released quickly and potentially commit further offenses on the same day.

This movement towards Zero Bail is part of a broader effort by criminal justice groups, like prison inmate organizations such as the Bail Project or Community Bail, to challenge cash bail systems throughout the United States. The debate surrounding the effectiveness and potential consequences of alternative approaches to bail and recidivism continues to be a heated discussion.