In a drastic policy amid aggressive Los Angeles County recall efforts, Attorney General George Gascon overturned a decree banning prosecutors from extorting bail for defendants accused of nonviolent crimes.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Sharon Wu said in a note Thursday, May 13, that the district attorney’s office remains committed to the rapid development of a well-funded, reliable pre-trial service program that “balances the rights of defendants in protecting public safety. ”

“Despite significant efforts by civil justice partners, the comprehensive pre-trial services program has not been fully implemented,” the note said. “After listening to the community, the victims and the members of this office, I have decided to allow limited exceptions to the pre-trial release policy until such a program is completed.”

As a result, prosecutors may require bail for defendants charged with felony, felony, or nonviolent crimes who have committed crimes pending trial and those who pose an exceptional threat to public safety.

“The district attorney remains firmly committed to the basic principles adopted by Los Angeles voters, including the goal of eliminating bail and maximizing pre-trial release in public safety,” Gascon’s office said in an e-mail Friday. “Over the past 18 months, we have identified some gaps in our existing pre-trial supervision system that require small adjustments in the way we pursue these goals.”

The change in policy means the sudden abolition of the Gascon, who immediately after taking office on December 7, 2020 issued a directive to abolish bail for all non-violent defendants.

“By minimizing the use of bail, reducing unnecessary pre-trial detention, seeking the least restrictive release conditions, and using community support and intervention programs, we can improve the long-term security of all Los Angeles County residents and improve the system. it will be made fairer and fairer, ”Gaskonets wrote in the directive.

The negative effects of cash collateral have fallen unequally on low-income and minority individuals in Los Angeles County, he added.

Eric Sidal, vice president of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys, described Gascon’s zero-stake policy as “unlimited leadership failure.”

“It took 18 months of robbery and abuse for George Gascon to admit that it took Angelenus about 18 minutes to realize what was going on inside him – his bail policy didn’t work and it made us all dangerous,” he said in an email. Friday. “His stubborn refusal to adjust the course was a lack of competence.

“Thanks to him, many detainees were returned to the streets. Some went on re-offending, even killing. Gascon knew it was a failure, but he refused to admit it and face the numbers. Now he is worried about another set of figures: polls and signatures in support of his recall. This change is not about our security. It’s about keeping your job. “

Organizers c to remind efforts gathered 400,000 of the required 566,857 signatures required by July 6 to include this measure in the ballot.