HB 318 (2023)
Revise law on bail commissioners
Eliminates bail commissioners and provides that judges will set bail. This bill then rewrites the process to release a defendant before trial. Judges would consider various factors when deciding whether or not to release a defendant with or without bail. Some of those factors include the severity of the offense, the likelihood of the person returning for trial, the potential danger to the public, etc. The bill does state that a person cannot be held until trial solely because they cannot afford bail.
The House completely rewrote the bill to make various changes to the role of bail commissioners. For example, the new bill raises the fee for bail commissioners from $30 to $40. The bill also requires the arresting agency to contact the alleged victim at least one hour before a person arrested for a violent crime is released on bail.