NY Judges Granted More Leeway on Bail Laws in Budget Compromise

New York state judges will have more leeway in restricting criminal defendants before trial, thanks to an unexpected budget compromise. The new agreement will free judges’ hands in imposing a variety of conditions on non-bail-eligible crimes, such as requiring electronic monitoring or drug treatment. However, judges still won’t be allowed to consider jailing a criminal defendant based on how much they believe he or she is a danger to society. The revamped bail proposal is expected to be approved by state lawmakers in budget votes set to finish by early Wednesday.