California will trade its awful cash bail system for a slightly less terrible one

Gov. Jerry Brown and leaders from the state Legislature and Supreme Court hold up copies of the bail reform bill on Aug. 28.

Aug. 31, 2018 4 AM PT

To the editor: More than 150 years ago that astute observer of our young republic, Alexis de Tocqueville, was mystified by the fact that in fiercely democratic America, the rich man could bail himself out of jail and disappear while the poor man languished.

“Nothing could be more aristocratic,” he wrote, thinking it a strange relic of English law.

Now, under the legislation ending cash bail in California just signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, the same people as before may languish still because a judge doesn’t like the look of them — merely a different flaw perhaps, but a less egregious one, let us hope.

Cary Moore, Yucca Valley

To the editor: Our justice system is supposed to act as a deterrent to people thinking about committing a crime

This feel-good legislation, along with other recent laws weakening our justice system, does nothing to protect the honest everyday citizen from criminals.

Marcus Kourtjian, Northridge

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