This Is Not Bail Reform, This Is Insanity

By Invoice King for RealClearPolitics

Final Wednesday, 37-year-old Omar Ursin went to select up take-out for his household. Witnesses reported that as Ursin was driving down Medera Run Parkway in northeast Harris County, Texas, one other automobile pulled alongside and fired a number of pictures into Ursin’s automobile.

When police arrived, they discovered Ursin had crashed right into a tree within the median and was lifeless. The district lawyer charged Ahsim Taylor and Jayland Womack, each 20, with Ursin’s homicide.

Sadly, this could be all too frequent a narrative in Harris County as of late. During the last two years, we have now been averaging virtually two murders per day in Harris County. However there are two particulars which make this crime stand out.

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First, Ursin was a Precinct 3 constable deputy. He was off obligation on the time. At this level, we have no idea if his homicide was associated to him being a legislation enforcement officer.

Second, each Taylor and Womack had been out on bail, pending trials for different felonies. Homicide, to be particular. Taylor had been charged with capital homicide as a result of he killed somebody throughout a theft. Womack was charged with a killing that occurred throughout a drug deal.

Taylor’s bond was initially set at $220,000 by a Justice of the Peace, however Choose Amy Martin lowered it to $95,000. Womack’s preliminary bond was set by Choose Greg Glass at $35,000 however later elevated to $75,000 due to violations of this pre-trial launch. These bonds had been granted by every of the judges, however the substantial proof towards the accused.

Each defendants had been in a position to make bond and had been launched from custody. Historically, bail bondsmen have required 10% to supply a bond. Due to elevated competitors, many bond corporations have been discounting their charges. So, these two alleged murderers had been in a position to safe their freedom for not more than about $18,000, and doubtless considerably much less.

On account of them being out on bond as an alternative of inside Harris County’s jail, Ursin’s 7-year-old daughter now not has a dad.

I’ve lengthy thought the money bail bond system utilized in many of the U.S is an anachronistic abomination that ought to at the least be dramatically reformed, or scrapped altogether. The federal courts did so almost 4 a long time in the past. And I’ve supported the efforts to cut back the reliance on the money bonds for misdemeanor expenses or non-violent offenses.

Having somebody sit in jail for a scorching examine or marijuana cost as a result of they can’t afford the bail bond payment is ridiculous and counterproductive on many ranges.

However granting any bond to defendants credibly accused of most of these murders is pure madness. In keeping with Houston Crime Stoppers, 180 people in Harris County have been killed by an individual launched on a felony bond since 2018. And the “bail reform” motion is lively in each state within the nation.

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Definitely, judges have an obligation to make sure that the rights of defendants of their courts are protected. However in addition they have an obligation to guard the general public from people who’ve demonstrated their violent proclivities.

I don’t know what was going by means of the minds of Choose Martin and Choose Glass after they set these bonds. It’s simply laborious to think about what would make any rational jurist conclude that releasing defendants like these two younger males again onto the streets would finish in something one other than tragedy. It both represents some blind allegiance to a warped ideology or a callous indifference to the general public’s security. Or each.

By the way in which, Democratic Get together voters had the great sense to point out each Martin and Glass the door within the major earlier this 12 months. Solely time will inform if their replacements will likely be any higher.

Past the person tragedies the insane determination to launch violent criminals has resulted in, these ideologues additionally appear to have no appreciation that they’re prone to set off a backlash that would wipe out the progress made so far on professional misdemeanor bond reform. How ironic that may be.

Of us, this isn’t rocket science. Our system ought to decide who needs to be launched pending a trial based mostly on two elements: if the individual is prone to present up for his or her trial, and if they’re a hazard to the general public. It ought to don’t have anything to do with whether or not they’re financially in a position to pay a bondsman.

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Till we get the cash out of the equation and begin electing judges which are devoted to basing their selections on this standards, there will likely be extra youngsters like Ursin’s daughter rising up with out a guardian. There may also be extra lives destroyed by merciless and pointless incarceration for trivial offenses.

Syndicated with permission from RealClearWire.

Invoice King is a businessman and lawyer, and is a former contributor on the Houston Chronicle. He has served as a metropolis councilman and has a powerful curiosity in a variety of social, environmental, and political points. Invoice is the writer of “Saving Face” and “Unapologetically Reasonable.”

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content material companions are their very own and don’t essentially mirror the views of The Political Insider.