Judges

Judges need information in order to make decisions.  The decision to set bail is one they must make in a few minutes or less.  With heavy caseloads, judges rely on others, such as pretrial investigators and defense attorneys, to present facts at the pretrial bail setting hearing.  Judges benefit when pretrial services agencies exist within their court system. When they receive better information before bail decisions they can carry out the law prohibiting excessive bail.  Surety bond, or commercial bonding, provides little in the way of information to the court.  Bondsmen make their decisions about bonding out individuals based on an assessment of that individual’s ability to pay, not on their risk to the community. 

In addition, judges benefit from pretrial diversion programs because pretrial diversion reduces their case loads and enables judges to improve defendants’ lives through judicially-mandated programs such as treatment for substance abuse and mental health conditions.

The following documents relate to this partner’s role in pretrial justice.