Santa Clara County Judge Extends Zero Bail Order Through January

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- Santa Clara County Superior Court Presiding Judge Deborah Ryan issued an order on Wednesday extending through January an emergency bail schedule intended to force much earlier release of detainees.

The order requires bail be set at $0 for most non-violent felonies and misdemeanors. Exceptions include any violation of a restraining order, for example.

The emergency bail schedule in Santa Clara County was first issued in April as the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown took hold. An earlier announcement cited concern about transmission of the coronavirus among or by arrestees while they are being held in the county jail.

The emergency bail measure comes amid a national movement for lower and more equitable bail amounts.

In June, the Judicial Council of California voted to end the zero bail policy it established which set presumptive bail at $0 for people accused of lower-level crimes to curb the spread of COVID-19 in jails and surrounding communities.

State court officials said counties could now determine for themselves if the policy needs to remain in place.