California’s governor Jerry Brown signed a bill on Tuesday which will eliminate bail for suspects awaiting trial – making it the first state to enact such a law.

The California Money Bail Reform Act will replace bail with a risk-assessment system, which will determine a defendant’s risk to public safety and probability of that suspect missing a court date rather than their ability to pay bail.

Brown said in a statement that the bill ‘preserves the rights of the accused, while prioritizing public safety’.

‘Today, California reforms its bail system so that rich and poor alike are treated fairly,’ Brown said. Read More…