The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Congressional Hearing on Bail System Reform
Record date · January 1, 2021
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What This Bill Does
This document is a transcript record of a 2019 House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing regarding the administration of in state and federal courts. The hearing featured testimony from legal experts, civil rights advocates, and representatives of the bail industry to discuss potential reforms to the current bail system.
The hearing serves as a formal record of legislative inquiry into how practices affect the rights of defendants and the operation of the criminal justice system, which informs potential future federal policy changes.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Criminal defendants
The administration of bail directly determines the conditions under which defendants are held or released while awaiting trial.
Bail agents
Changes to bail administration policies impact the operational requirements and business models of professional bail agents.
Federal and state courts
Courts are responsible for implementing bail procedures and would be subject to any new federal mandates or guidelines resulting from reform efforts.
Key Facts
- The hearing took place on November 14, 2019, in the Rayburn Office Building.
- The hearing was conducted by the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
- The session focused on the administration of bail in both state and federal court systems.
- Witnesses included representatives from the ACLU, The Bail Project, the University of Chicago Law School, the Ohio Professional Bail Agents Association, and The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
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- The record includes submitted statements from the American Bail Coalition and various state-level legislators.
Frequently Asked Questions
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News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceFull breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Focus on Bail Reform
The hearing demonstrates a concerted effort by the 116th Congress to examine the intersection of civil rights and judicial bail practices.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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