ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - A Maryland commission is recommending the state stop requiring people accused of crimes to post bond as a condition of release before trial.
The Governor's Commission to Reform Maryland's Pretrial System approved the controversial recommendation Tuesday. The commission will present the recommendation to the General Assembly in the next few weeks.
The commission found that the state's bail system is inherently unfair: Low-income defendants are often held behind bars pending trial because they can't afford to pay their bonds, while wealthier defendants are released because they can.
The Daily Record reports that the recommendation will be part of a commission report due Dec. 1 to the governor and General Assembly. The report focuses on ways the state can improve the treatment of defendants between arrest and trial.
