Pretrial Program Scrutinized

[*Precious*]

Pretrial release conditions are not supposed to be punishment.
But they feel punishing to many Lane County defendants accused of misdemeanor acts of domestic violence.
Take former Eugene resident Roger Alexander, 25, who moved to Utah in part because of his experience here. A biologist and legal immigrant from Guyana, Alexander had no criminal history when he was arrested in downtown Eugene about two years ago.
A passer-by had called 911 to report a man pushing a woman into a parked car. A responding police officer reported finding Alexander holding his girlfriend down in the car’s back seat, his forearm against her throat.
Both the girlfriend and Alexander said he was simply trying to stop her from driving while drunk. And when the case went to trial more than two months later, a jury swiftly acquitted him on all his charges: misdemeanor strangulation, harassment and resisting arrest.
For nine weeks between his arrest and acquittal, however, Alexander lived under conditions imposed by pretrial services officers under Lane County’s Victim Safety Program: No contact with the alleged victim. No entering a two-mile radius around the apartment they shared. No drinking alcohol. Observing a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. Wearing an electronic ankle bracelet and paying $140 a week to cover the cost of officials monitoring his whereabouts.
Such restrictions — typical for local domestic violence defendants released from jail before their trials — are excessive, many defense lawyers say.
But local court officials defend them. The restrictions have dramatically improved victim safety and defendant court appearance rates in a county unable to fund enough jail beds to keep potentially dangerous people in jail, they say.
To read more:
Karen McCowan, "Pretrial Program Scrutinized," Register-Guard (November 28, 2010), http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms...e-violence.csp.

[Zelda50]

It really doesn't make sense the way they keep pre-trial people in jail, who have not yet been convicted, and release sentenced inmates super early due to lack of space!

[ConnieLynn84]

I herd about this and i also herd that they are trying to eliminate pretrial release though aka ankle bracelet ect so they can't be sued to be reimbursed silly