DA says over 526 crimes committed on $ 0 bail program

Crimes include attempted murder, robbery, assaults and domestic violence

The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office stated that over 526 new crimes have been committed in the county as a result of $ 0 bail.

In December, the office said that 442 crimes had been committed under $ 0 bail, making the increase of over the last month 84 new crimes.

The “$ 0 Bail Schedule” was implemented by the state and California Judicial Council last April in response to the coronavirus pandemic in order to keep prison and jail populations low to avoid an infection outbreak behind bars.

Although rescinded in June, the Yolo County Superior Court continues to use the Statewide Emergency Bail Schedule. There is no announced end date for the use of the system, and it could be used until the pandemic is over.

Since April, 427 individuals have been arrested and released on $ 0 bail a total of 524 times, with some being arrested on multiple occasions, according to a statement from the DA’s Office.

The statement claimed that those who have reoffended since their release on $ 0 bail in have committed over 526 new crimes in Yolo County alone. Those new crimes include 217 felonies and 309 misdemeanors, including crimes such as attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon or assault by means of force likely to product great bodily injury ( 16 new victims), robbery ( 8 new victims), burglary ( 32 new victims), felony domestic violence ( 7 new victims), possession of an assault weapon, gang crimes and other crimes.

Nearly 40% of those released on $ 0 bail have reoffended at least one time.

The Emergency Bail Schedule simply looks at the arresting offense and releases individuals on $ 0 bail, even those on probation or parole, without conducting a risk assessment for dangerousness. Offenders are then given a court date 4- 5 months in the future.

“This makes it nearly impossible to assess those individuals who are homeless, suffer from a substance use disorder, or from a serious mental illness in order to enroll them into one of the county’s diversion programs such as mental health court or addiction intervention court,” the district attorney’s office stated.