A federal judge ruled Monday that San Francisco’s bail schedule violates poor defendants’ rights without protecting the public.
San Francisco’s bail schedule sets bail amounts for each crime and requires a defendant to pay that amount to be released after arrest, even if no charges have been filed. The lead plaintiff in this case was held in prison on a $30,000 bail, which she could not afford. She was released two days later but was fired from her job at the Oakland airport due to her absence.