Kentucky Lawmakers Introduce Bill To Ban Charitable Bail

 

State representatives are pushing for a bill to make charitable bail illegal in Kentucky, but some organizations are pushing against it.

House Bill 313 was introduced by Rep. John Blanton, R-Salyersville, and Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, on Tuesday. It would amend KRS 431.510 to make operating a charitable bail organization unlawful.

In a statement to WDRB News, Nemes wrote:

“The intent of the bill is to ensure that people charged with violent offenses are not bailed out by a company that does not do a proper background check and has no relation to the defendant. When a human posts bail, they are effectively vouching for that person because they are posting their own money as bail, and they are subject to losing their own money if the defendant does not show up to court or reoffends. That is not true for a company. So, this bill aims to ensure that people charged with violent crimes are not released by a company that posts their bail.”

In response to the bill, Gov. Andy Beshear said changes impacting these types of bail need careful consideration.

"There are some people that end up days and weeks in jail because they simply can't afford even a lower-level bond that could lose their job or other opportunities,” Beshear said. “It's come up in the context of what are often times civil protest, but even civil protest sometimes people choose to get arrested to make a point. Keeping folks in jail that can't afford bond on things like that versus a violent crime are just night and day different."

If passed, the bill would outlaw services provided by groups like the Louisville Community Bail Fund.

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