Bill > HB07044

This bill aims to implement pretrial justice reform in Connecticut. It makes several key changes: 1. It prohibits judges from imposing financial conditions of release (e.g., bail) on defendants charged only with misdemeanors, unless certain criteria are met, such as a risk of failure to appear or obstruction of justice. 2. It requires defendants charged only with misdemeanors (except for family violence crimes) who have not made bail to be presented to the court within 14 days of their arraignment, at which point the court must remove any financial conditions unless specific findings are made. 3. It tasks the Office of Policy and Management to study the feasibility of establishing a program to provide assistance to indigent defendants detained pretrial on minor offenses, and to report back to the legislature by January 1, 2018. Overall, the bill is focused on reducing the use of cash bail, especially for lower-level offenses, and ensuring a prompt review of pretrial detention decisions.

Justice

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB07044&which_year=2017