Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger has issued a statement to share her perspective on the Los Angeles Superior Court’s new bail policy that will be effective Oct. 1.

The newly adopted felony and misdemeanor bail schedules, which include the new PreArraignment Release Protocols, will replace uniform misdemeanor and felony bail schedules for arrestees before arraignment. Under the protocols included in the new bail schedules, crimes will correspond with pre-arraignment release terms based on the arrestee’s risk to public and victim safety and likelihood of returning to court. Instead of assigning a money bail amount to lowlevel, non-violent, non-serious offenses, the majority of these arrestees will be released at the location of arrest or booked and then released on their own recognizance with a promise to appear at arraignment. Persons arrested for certain crimes which pose a greater risk to the public will be referred to a magistrate, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, who will exercise discretion by conducting individualized determinations of the appropriate non-financial pre-arraignment release terms and conditions of the arrestee necessary to reduce the risk to the public and victim safety and the likelihood of the arrestee returning to court. Pursuant to the law, all release conditions for arrestees may be reconsidered by a judicial officer
at arraignment.

“Our Board of Supervisors had a lengthy conversation today with a variety of partners, including our Sheriff and representatives from the L.A. Superior Court, the District Attorney’s office and others, to transparently discuss what we are doing to prepare for the new bail schedule that takes effect Oct. 1.

This is a confusing topic because there are so many players. The state legislature creates laws, courts create bail schedules, law enforcement agencies arrest those who break the law, the D.A. files criminal charges, and judges issue rulings. The County’s role is multifaceted since it involves multiple County entities and actors, including the Sheriff, D.A., Public Defender, Probation and our new Los Angeles County Justice Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD) – all who have distinct roles at various phases of criminal proceedings.

JCOD will provide care management, transportation support, outreach, and pretrial support so that individuals appear in court and get help to successfully reintegrate into society.

This topic is also a scary one. My constituents have voiced their fears and concerns, and many do not feel safe. Smash and grab crimes happen too often, and both large retail and small business owners are hurting. For many, livelihoods are on the line.

I’ve done what is in my power to address those concerns. In the past two years, I’ve allocated more than $2 million from my discretionary funds to increase Sheriff patrols in the communities I represent. I appreciate Governor Newsom’s recent allocation of $15,650,000 to the Sheriff’s Department to combat organized retail theft. It will go a long way to help our Sheriff’s Deputies methodically and systematically tackle those who are committing these egregious crimes.

Nothing exists in silos, everything is interconnected. Keeping communities safe means we all must be committed to enforcing the law and working within the law’s parameters.

I will continue to closely track the roll-out of the new bail schedule. That includes tracking whether those who are cited or booked and released show up to court and how the County delivers services and holds them accountable.”

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger serves the residents of Los Angeles County’s 5th Supervisorial District,the county’s largest, spanning 2,785 square miles, which includes 20 cities and 83 unincorporated communities in the San Gabriel, San Fernando, Crescenta, Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys.