Manhattan Beach Joins Lawsuit Opposing New Zero-Bail Protocol

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — The Manhattan Beach City Council unanimously voted to join a lawsuit opposing Los Angeles County's recently adopted zero bail protocol.

Beginning Oct. 1, police departments in the county were required to follow the new schedules that would have most suspects arrested for non-violent felonies and misdemeanors cited or booked and then released.

News of the new bail schedule was met with concern from residents and police agencies throughout the county who suggested the change would impact community safety. Originally, only 12 cities decided to sue the county.

According to Assistant to the City Manager George Gabriel, 26 cities have now joined the coalition so far and another additional five or six are looking to join pending council approval. This includes Manhattan Beach as well as Whittier, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Downey, Vernon, Arcadia, Glendora and more.

On July 18, the Los Angeles County Superior Court approved the new zero-bail protocol, which in turn means all county police departments must comply with the rule change.

"While this represents a significant change in protocols for all law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles County, the Manhattan Beach Police Department remains committed to the safety and security of our community," MBPD said in a statement.

Under the new protocol, nearly all theft offenses, vehicle code violations, other property crimes like vandalism, and some serious crimes that are deemed non-violent are either cited or booked and released or referred to an on-call magistrate.

The magistrate has the discretion to determine the appropriate release terms and conditions. Capital offenses such as murder with special circumstances and limited felonies are not eligible for zero bail release.

The new release protocols replaced traditional bail schedules. For example, a person arrested for vehicle theft would have had a bail amount of $35,000 under the previous schedule. With the new protocol, the person is eligible for Book and Release.

According to MBPD, offenses involving guns, sexual battery, crimes against children/elders and contact with minors with intent to commit a sexual offense are referred to magistrate review.