NCSL Pretrial Quarterly Newsletter
October 2016
The Pretrial Quarterly is an NCSL electronic newsletter for state legislators, legislative staff, and others interested in pretrial release policy. This newsletter provides quarterly updates on state pretrial action and legislation and new NCSL resources. It also links to latest research and highlights pretrial policy in the news.
Contents
Pretrial Quarterly
from the states
- The New Mexico Legislature referred a constitutional amendment on bail to voters that if approved would authorize courts to deny pretrial release for dangerous defendants in felony cases and ensure that defendants are not held due to inability to post financial or property bond.
- State law provides a legal framework to ensure that defendants are aware of their right to counsel and that counsel is appointed in a reasonable amount of time. NCSL has summarized the constitutional and statutory requirements for every state.
- A new interactive 50 state map from NCSL shows some of the most common conditions of pretrial release authorized by state law.
- The Indiana Supreme Court adopted a new rule stating that an arrestee who does not present a substantial risk of flight or danger to themselves or others should be released without monetary conditions.
- Arizona Supreme Court “Task Force on Fair Justice for All” recommends pretrial policy changes.
the cache
in the news
This newsletter is prepared under a partnership project of NCSL’s Criminal Justice Program and the Public Welfare Foundation. Links to external websites and reports are for information purposes only and do not indicate NCSL’s endorsement of the content.