A local look at Bail Reform

Bail Reform has changed the way non-violent misdemeanors are handled since the beginning of the year, but are more changes necessary?

Handled since the beginning of the year, but are more changes necessary?

Newschannel 2's kirk tupaj tells us how the system is working locally.

The purpose of the original bail reform was to reduce the number of people jailed with misdemeanor offenses while awaiting trial by leveling the ability for all people to pay for bail.

What happened in new york went beyond the fundamental goal.

No bail is necessary for a number of misdemeanor offenses.

Judges are now required to release people with the least restrictive conditions necessary, with the assurance of a return to court.

Oneida county district attorney scott mcnamara tells me the people committing the offenses now know they're not going to jail.

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None .

None sot: scott mcnamara, oneida county district attorney we're up against all these problems. we can't put them in jail.

Now we got to find them.

It's not easy to find them.

When we find them we bring them back.

Then they get released again.

I mean it's just a revolving& it's a revolving circular door of the criminal justice system that's just& it's making a mockery of the system.

Oneida county sheriff rob maciol explains that when the police do respond to an incident, unless it involves domestic violence or a sex crime, most people are just given an appearance ticket.

Sot: sheriff robert maciol, oneida county it's not unusual to see repeat offenders, and then when you have people who clearly know that they're not going to get arraigned in front of a judge, then the likelihood of them doing something is higher.

Sot: scott mcnamara, oneida county district attorney they're doing it and they know that there's nothing we can do.

They're laughing.

They're laughing at us.

The sheriff talked about some recent incidents that left the victims asking: how can this happen?

Sot: sheriff robert maciol, oneida county someone can call and make 30 consecutive violent threats and be given a ticket, or start 8 different fires and be allowed to walk away, or lead police on a 3 county chase and be allowed to walk away.

Sot: scott mcnamara, oneida county district attorney the hard part is, is watching it happen and knowing that there's going to be more victims. bail can be set on a misdemeanor charge if there is a victim physically injured in the process of the crime.

In utica, i'm kirk tupaj reporting for newschannel 2.> time for a first look at the forecast.

Here's chief meteologist bill kardas