New Offenses Include Attempted Murder, Robbery, Assaults, Domestic Violence, and Weapons Offenses
(Woodland, CA) – December 1, 2020 –As a result of Yolo County Superior Court’s continued use of $0 bail, over 442 new crimes have been committed. In April, the California Judicial Council imposed the “$0” Bail Schedule in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although rescinded in June, the Yolo County Superior Court continues to use the Statewide Emergency Bail Schedule. There is no announced end date for the use of the Emergency Bail Schedule.
Since April 13, 2020, 390 individuals have been arrested and released on zero bail a total of 464 times, with some benefitting from $0 bail on multiple occasions. The individuals who have reoffended since their release on Zero Bail in Yolo County have committed over 442 new crimes in Yolo County alone. Those new crimes include 176 felonies and 266 misdemeanors, including crimes such as Attempted Murder, Assault with a Deadly Weapon or Assault by Means of Force Likely to Product Great Bodily Injury (15 new victims), Robbery (5 new victims), Burglary (30 new victims), felony domestic violence (5 new victims), possession of an assault weapon, gang crimes, and dozens of other new felony and misdemeanor crimes. More than a third of those released on zero bail have reoffended at least one time.
The Emergency Bail Schedule simply looks at the arresting offense and releases individuals on $0, even those on probation or parole, without conducting a risk assessment for dangerousness. Additionally, upon release on $0 Bail, offenders are given a court date 4-5 months in the future. This makes it nearly impossible to assess those individuals who are homeless, suffer from a substance use disorder, or from a serious mental illness in order to enroll them into one of the county’s diversion programs such as mental health court or addiction intervention court.
###
