Chief Johnny Jennings understands the frustration CMPD officers feel when they see the violent offenders they worked hard to arrest back on Charlotte’s streets because of challenges and inconsistencies within the North Carolina bond system.
It’s one of many issues the chief has been outspoken about on his officers’ behalf, and now, after months of hard work and discussion, North Carolina General Assembly Reps. Destin Hall and John Bradford have signed on as sponsors of the Pretrial Integrity Act. The bill is in the process of moving forward to potentially become law.
Among other things, this bill will take away the authority of magistrates to set bail for certain violent offenses. This proposed legislation will:
- Identify serious felonies for which only a judge can determine defendants’ release conditions.
- Extend custody review intervals for juveniles alleged to have committed Class A felonies.
- Require release conditions to be set by a judge if defendants are arrested on new charges while already released on pretrial, regardless of the new charges.
Read Chief Jennings’ op-ed on the bond system in The Charlotte Observer here.
