Harris County Sheriff Responds to Cash Bail Ruling

HOUSTON, TX -- Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez issued the following statement in response to a temporary injunction issued on Friday, April 28 by the federal judge overseeing the legal challenge to the county's cash bail system:

"The federal judge's ruling is a positive first step toward bringing long overdue changes to a criminal justice system in need of reform," said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. "People charged with non-violent, misdemeanor crimes should not be locked up in jail just because they cannot afford to make bail. Jailing those who have only been charged with a non-violent crime hurts families and places an unnecessary burden on taxpayers who bear the cost of their incarceration. I am committed to working with the federal court and with other elected county leaders to fully comply with the order with an eye toward enhancing public safety and ensuring that all people, regardless of economic status, receive fair treatment from the Harris County criminal justice system."

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