Election 2020: Proposition 25 Seeks to End Cash Bail System

Proposition 25 on the November ballot seeks to end the cash bail
system in California and replace it with one based on risk
assessment. If passed, it would make California the first state in
the nation to completely eliminate commercial bail. Prop 25 stems
from Senate Bill 10, which was signed into law in 2018 by then-Gov.
Jerry Brown and would have ended cash bail effective last October.
Instead, a coalition against the legislation collected enough
signatures to put the issue up for a vote. Proponents of Prop 25
say this would make the process more fair, where a defendant’s
freedom isn’t dependent on their economic status. Those opposed say
ending cash bail burdens police departments with ensuring
defendants appear in court and takes away a person’s choice to
secure release from jail through bail. Forum takes up the debate.