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Tag: bailreform

US Politics

A $7 Cheeseburger and the Soul of Justice: California's Landmark Bail Ruling

The California Supreme Court unanimously ruled that judges must consider a defendant's financial circumstances when setting bail, a decision stemming from the case of a homeless man jailed for six months over a $7 cheeseburger purchased with a found credit card. This landmark ruling is a crucial, though long-overdue, step towards restoring the foundational principle that justice should not be for sale, directly confronting a system that has too often criminalized poverty instead of protecting public safety.