ANN ARBOR (AP) — A new prosecutor in the Ann Arbor area has told his staff to not seek cash bail for people accused of most crimes.
Eli Savit said assistant prosecutors in Washtenaw County can ask a judge to impose certain conditions on defendants in exchange for their release from jail but posting cash won’t be one of them.
“The size of a person’s bank account should never determine their freedom,” Savit said Monday.
“Under a cash bail system, poorer people — even those who are accused of relatively minor crimes — are forced to sit in jail for days, weeks or years,” he said. “At the same time, cash bail allows wealthier people who are accused of serious crimes to go free pending trial.”
Savit said his office still will seek pretrial detention in major crimes, especially if someone poses an imminent threat to the community.
Judges determine conditions for pretrial release, but a prosecutor’s position is an important part of the decision, Savit said.
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