Kentucky could be looking into changing the laws in the justice system concerning bail and a local legislator says he would support the change.
State Senator Whitney Westerfield says the legislation, which he believes will be a standalone bill, would potentially remove money bail as an option for offenders who are not a danger to others. He says the system as it is now tends to favor the wealthy, while those who can’t afford any type of money bail sit in jail.
Westerfield says this measure would be fairer to those in the justice system, while also saving the state money for not having to house those offenders.
He says in place of the money bail system, it would put strict restrictions on those who get out for pretrial release using policies that already exist.
In Kentucky, every person has a right to bail or consideration of bail, which is the ability to be released from custody pre-trial on the presumption of innocence. Westerfield says he is not filing such a bill, but he would support some type of bail reform.