San Jose city officials are voicing concerns that murder suspects might be back to the streets after they were freed under a measure implemented last year to help with bail reform.
The system is described by the police as dysfunctional and their effort to have violent suspects arrested might go down the drain, ABC7 reported.
The release of the criminals involved in at least a couple of high profile cases also worries San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.
“This is just dangerous for everyone and we need the judicial system to be able to understand and appreciate the public safety peril that is created by these decisions,” Liccardo said.
The California Supreme Court ruling last year has allowed individual analysis of each person’s right to pretrial release, with little or even no bail at all.
Included in the suspects released with no bail were Efrain Anzures and Alfred Castillo who were involved in a Halloween road-rage case. They faced murder and accessory to murder charges.
They did not post bail on their release with special conditions under supervised own recognizance release of SORP.
Just this year, Oscar Soto, suspected in a second homicide case, was also arrested. Soto was released also through SORP, which was enacted last year.
Soto has since left the country, according to the police.
“The judges are probably following, to the best of their belief, what they think the law compels them to do,” SJPD asst. chief Paul Joseph said. “But if that’s what the law compels them to do, then the law needs to be changed. There’s a problem with the law.”
“I appreciate the purpose of bail reform, but the pendulum has swung too far,” Liccardo said. “We need a judicial system that is balanced that serves the entire community.”
