Commentary & In the News

In The Columbus Dispatch, The Buckeye Institute shows how a recent shooting in the Mall at Tuttle Crossing demonstrates the need to reform Ohio’s cash bail system and expand the use of preventative detention to detain violent criminals without bail. “Bipartisan legislation pending in the General Assembly, House Bill 315 and Senate Bill 182, would make many more violent crimes eligible for no-bail detention hearings, and hand Ohio courts a much better tool for ensuring the public’s safety.”

In The Columbus Dispatch, The Buckeye Institute looks at the “sensible, legal balance between the public’s safety and the accused’s presumed innocence until proven guilty” when reforming Ohio’s cash bail system. “With significant input from judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, and the bail bond industry, House Bill 315 and Senate Bill 182 set out to fix broken pieces of a complex, imperfect system. The bills follow the Buckeye Institute’s commonsense suggestion to de-emphasize money bail and make many more serious crimes eligible for ‘preventative detention’ before trial.”

In The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Buckeye Institute looks at a shooting at a Butler County Walmart, which demonstrates the need for meaningful and comprehensive bail reform. “Ohio voters may well amend the state constitution later this year to give courts more discretion in protecting our communities. But even if they do, lawmakers will still need to improve critical alternatives to bail if they want to strike the right balance between securing public safety and safeguarding constitutional rights and liberties.”