This panel examines the challenge posed to courts, especially those that rely on the cash bail system as courts struggle to balance a defendant’s rights with the need to protect the community and assure a defendant’s appearance in court. Do artificial intelligence and predictive behavior models offer a solution or exacerbate the problem? What is the role of race and how are the poor and people of color impacted by a cash bail system, and what can be done to improve equitable pretrial detention/release?
Topics• Why is the State’s cash bail system considered to be biased?
• What are some of the steps that are being taken to address and change it?
• Is the federal system considered fair? If so, is it really?
• If the current systems are not fair, what are the steps needed - by defense practitioners, government lawyers and the court - to assure greater fairness?