Abstract

Fair Bail for All

This article focuses on the legal system, specially for bailing laws, of the U.S. by illustrating some studies after several disputes in this context. Originally, the decision as to whether to admit a defendant to bail was in the hands of the sheriff, but when that official began to abuse his power in this respect, the function was taken over by the courts. But the courts themselves have not been particularly equitable in the setting of bail. A study by students of the New York University School of Law, under the supervision of the Vera Foundation, is reported. Students have been engaged in an experiment known as the "Manhattan Bail Project," which was aimed to study the effects of pre-trial release on the eventual disposition of criminal cases and to explore the use of parole as a bail substitute.