TITLE
RESOLUTION OPPOSING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PLACE ARBITRARY STATUTORY RESTRICTIONS ON PRETRIAL SUPERVISION PROGRAMS; IDENTIFYING DEFEAT OF THE BAILBOND BILLS AS A CRITICAL PRIORITY FOR THE 2011 SESSION

BODY
WHEREAS, during the 2010 session, the Florida Legislature considered a pair of bills, SB 782 by Senator John Thrasher (R � Jacksonville) & HB 445 by Representative Chris Dorworth (R � Heathrow), that would have favored the bailbond industry over pretrial supervision programs by placing arbitrary statutory restrictions on pretrial supervision programs; and
WHEREAS, these bills would have prohibited pretrial supervision programs from charging defendants the cost of pretrial supervision including ankle bracelets, leaving these costs with law-abiding taxpayers rather than charging them to defendants as �user fees�; and
WHEREAS, as initially filed, SB 782 & HB 445 would have substantially limited defendants who qualified for pretrial supervision to only defendants who meet all of the following criteria:
a. Are indigent,
b. Have not failed to appear at any court within the preceding 12 months,
c. Have no prior convictions involving violence,
d. Have not been charged with a capital, life or first degree felony,
e. Are not on probation for another charge, and
f. Are not facing charges for another crime anywhere in the state; and

WHEREAS, SB 782 & HB 445 were amended over the course of the 2010 session, and a coalition of sheriffs, judges, prosecutors and counties eventually were successful at defeating SB 782 & HB 445; and
WHEREAS, the bailbond industry likely will be back with similar bills for the 2011 session; and
WHEREAS, pretrial supervision programs have a proven track record of treating the root problems of crime by treating drug addiction and mental health issues, while bailbonds are simply financial contracts to appear in court at specified times; and
WHEREAS, study after study has shown that pretrial supervision programs are far more effective than bailbonds at ensuring public safety and decreasing the likelihood of reoffending; and
WHEREAS, bills that would arbitrarily restrict pretrial supervision programs would result in wasteful government spending by holding defendants in jails that could be placed on pretrial supervision more safely, more cost effectively and with better outcomes, all for the purpose of favoring the bailbond industry,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Opposes bailbond legislation that would place arbitrary, statutory restrictions on pretrial supervision programs.
Section 2. Identifies the defeat of such legislation as a County critical priority for the 2011 state legislative session.
Section 3. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the Governor, Senate President, House Speaker and the Chair and Members of the Miami-Dade County State Legislative Delegation.
Section 4. Directs the County's state lobbyists to advocate against the passage of the legislation as set forth in Section 1 above, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to include this item in the 2011 State Legislative Package as a critical priority.