Dallas County officials believe changes to its cash bail system will be ready to go by a court-mandated deadline.
A federal judge ruled Dallas County’s system unconstitutional one year ago, deeming it unfair to poor defendants who could spend weeks behind bars. The district court judges came up with a new plan and it was unveiled on Tuesday.
Every person arrested who goes through a bail review hearing will now have the option of having the assistance of an attorney, officials said. Those hearings now must occur within 48 hours of an arrest. That would mean defendants could challenge bond amounts and potentially get out of jail sooner.
