HARTFORD — Democratic Gov. Dan Malloy says he and state lawmakers are working on a compromise that would allow his bail reform proposals to be passed during the legislature’s upcoming special session.
Malloy told reporters Tuesday that as part of the deal to get his Second Chance Society initiatives passed, he is dropping a controversial plan that would have the Juvenile Court system handle most criminal cases involving anyone 20 years old or younger.
The state House is expected to take up the bail reform issue on Thursday. Under that plan, cash bonds would be eliminated for most misdemeanor charges, but judges would be allowed to impose conditions such as GPS monitoring.
The legislation, which the administration says would save $15 million a year, is designed to end the pre-trial incarceration of poor defendants who cannot post small bonds.
Senate President Martin Looney released a statement on Tuesday saying in part, “…I remain committed to working to reform Connecticut’s bail system, incorporating many of the elements of the original bill while making some adjustments.”
Republican leadership has said they’d support bail reform, but on Wednesday, leaders expressed concerns about the bill language.
They do not want bail reform to include violent individuals or convicted felons.
House Minority Leader Themis Klarides saying the bill should make it “..abundantly clear that any bail reform applies only to non-violent, non-predatory, non-selling drug offenses.”
Klarides as well Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano are calling on the Governor to tighten up the language.
“I had meetings with republican leaders where they`ve told me they were for bail reform. You`ve got them on record saying they`re for bail reform, but bail reform that keeps somebody in jail because they`re poor when you acknowledge that you`re going to let somebody out on as little as a dollar, $90, $250, that`s not bail reform,” said Malloy in Waterbury.
