Currently, prosecutors in both the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems have too much discretion in pressing charges, determining what sentences are sought, and negotiating plea deals. Trial by jury is a key tenant of the American criminal justice system, but heightened prosecutorial power significantly reduces the power and frequency of a trial by peers. Attempts at sentencing reform must address largely unchecked prosecutorial discretion.
“U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal gave preliminary approval last week to a settlement that restructures the bail system and provides for the pretrial release of most people charged with misdemeanors in Texas’s Harris County, the nation’s third most populous county and home of Houston. And she did it over the objections of Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.“
The Appeal Political Report
September 12, 2019
Read More“The district attorney of Harris County, Texas, formally asked the County Commissioners Court last month for $20 million to hire about 100 new prosecutors, an increase of 31 percent. DA Kim Ogg told the commissioners at the Jan. 29 budget hearing that she needs the new attorneys to handle a backlog of cases that have clogged the courts since Hurricane Harvey. Ogg was hailed as a “bold” criminal justice reformer for campaigning in 2016 on a platform of bail reform and diverting low-level drug offenses. But activists have questioned her actions since her election.“
The Appeal
February 8, 2019
Read More"She said it’s never appropriate for a DA to ask for $15,000 bond for charges like marijuana possession, and pointed to research showing that releasing people based on their promise to pay if they don’t turn up in court is just as effective as requiring money bail up front."
The Appeal
August 9, 2018
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