Smart Talk: Does bail keep public safe?

What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, September 15, 2016:

Unless they have had direct contact with or work in the criminal justice system, most people don’t know much about criminal law and how the courts work.

Bail for criminal defendants may be one of the areas the public understands the least.

In Pennsylvania district magistrates most often set bail for those who have been charged criminally.  While it’s accurate that the judge has a table that list guidelines for the seriousness of the crime and the corresponding bail, bail is not meant to be a punishment.  A priority for setting bail is to ensure that defendants show up for future court proceedings.

Does that keep the public safe?

There have been dozens of cases across the country recently where someone accused of a crime and free on bail has committed another crime, including several over the last 18 months here in Pennsylvania.

For example, in June 2015, 38-year-old Leeton Thomas of Quarryville was charged with murdering a neighbor — Lisa Scheetz and her 16-year-old daughter Hailey.  Thomas was free after his wife posted one-tenth of the $50,000 bail set when he was accused of sexually molesting Hailey Scheetz and her 15-year-old sister.  The sister was stabbed but survived.

There also are many cases where a criminal defendant is charged with a non-violent or less serious crime but is in jail because they don’t have the money to post bail.

Our guests on Thursday’s Smart Talk believe bail reform is needed in Pennsylvania.

Joining us are Pennsylvania Secretary of Corrections John Wetzel and Pennsylvania’s Victim Advocate Jennifer Storm.