Mountain State Spotlight, Beckley Register-Herald – Senators are trying to breathe new life into a bill that critics say would lead to more people sitting in jail awaiting trial after a House Committee overwhelmingly rejected the legislation last week.
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SB 725 would’ve stripped magistrates — who generally see someone first after they are arrested and set bond — of the power to release defendants charged with a felony on a personal recognizance bond, which is when they’re cut loose pretrial without paying a bail.
Many felonies — like murder, rape and burglary — almost always result in a defendant having to post bond or held without bond. But there are other crimes where people are released on a PR bond, such as third-offense shoplifting and forging a signature on a check.
