President Trump on Monday signed an executive order aimed at eliminating cashless bail in the United States by threatening to cut federal funding to jurisdictions that allow the practice.
Mr. Trump has long railed against cashless bail, in which criminal defendants are not required to post bail when they face lesser charges. Studies have shown that such policies have not led to an increase in crime.
But Mr. Trump and conservative lawmakers argue that the practice is a safety threat that results in more accused criminals being released out on the streets.
“Somebody kills somebody, they go and don’t worry about it,” Mr. Trump told reporters on Monday as he signed the order. “No cash. Come back in a couple of months. We’ll give you a trial. You never see the person again.”
The order comes as Mr. Trump has launched a crackdown on crime in Washington and has threatened to turn next to Chicago and New York. And while he has cast his current effort as a success, Mr. Trump has also relied on exaggerated figures to paint a picture of soaring violence in the nation’s capital.
Mr. Trump’s executive order instructs Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify which jurisdictions have “substantially eliminated cash bail as a potential condition for crimes that pose a clear threat to public safety and order” within 30 days.
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The post Trump Signs Orders Aiming to End Cashless Bail appeared first on New York Times.
