Staff Reports
The recent news from Washington reveals yet another epic clash between President Trump and the status quo. This time, the uproar surrounds his campaign against cashless bail. Apparently, he has instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to compile a list of locales still clinging to this contentious system. By doing so, the President hopes to pinch their federal funding. It’s the latest in an ongoing saga of federal versus state power struggles, and one has to wonder if it isn’t time someone reminded these holdout states whose supposed to be the boss.
It’s almost entertaining to watch high-stakes poker being played on the political stage. On one side, you have the President, bravely taking on the well-armed bureaucracy, ready to stretch the limits of executive power. On the other hand, Congress stands as a stiff-necked custodian of the nation’s purse strings. The President’s critics are quick to remind him that it is technically up to Congress to dictate funding terms. But a little technicality like the Constitution has never stopped a determined President before.
The argument against cash bail, as some would have it, is discriminatory. They claim it’s a system rigged against the poor, while favoring the well-heeled who can afford to spring themselves from jail. But hold on a minute! The system of cash bail has a purpose — to ensure that defendants show up for their court dates and don’t pose a threat to society. That’s not lipstick on a pig; it’s a sensible approach to maintaining order. Last anyone checked, bail conditions are based not on a defendant’s checkbook, but on the severity of the crime and likelihood of flight.
Still, cashless bail has gained traction in progressive circles, and now some states act like they’ve discovered fire. It’s the new must-have accessory in their criminal justice wardrobe. You know, because everything traditional is now presumed outdated. But cutting-edge doesn’t always translate to sensible, and this reckless push for cashless bail testifies to that. When the left argues for freeing offenders with nary a dime paid, one imagines criminals everywhere lining up to give their hearty applause.
As it stands, President Trump’s quest to curb cashless bail might struggle to gain a legal footing. Without one of those nifty congressional stamps of approval, executive orders can only do so much. However, Congress could come into play to give his initiative some teeth. The fight over federal and state boundaries is age-old and as American as apple pie. But when states step too far outside the circle of logic, particularly in matters as critical as public safety, it’s only fair for the federal government to pull them back toward common sense. The President deserves accolades for his commitment to ensuring the safety and sanity of our judicial processes — even if he’s got a hill to climb to achieve it.
