Trump's cashless bail crackdown gets expert backing: 'Power of the purse strings' can force compliance
Share and Follow

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

While the White House can’t directly control local jurisdictions that refuse to issue cash bail for accused criminals, particularly repeat offenders, experts say the president does have some ways to influence cities where crime has gotten out of control.

President Donald Trump recently announced a new executive order as part of his plan to undo the spread of cashless bail. He directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to, within 30 days, compile a list of all jurisdictions that have implemented the policy. And he instructed other federal agencies to identify what grants and contracts can be suspended as a result.

“As President, I will require commonsense policies that protect Americans’ safety and well-being by incarcerating individuals who are known threats,” Trump wrote in the order. “It is therefore the policy of my Administration that Federal policies and resources should not be used to support jurisdictions with cashless bail policies, to the maximum extent permitted by law.”

Police officer DC

A police officer is positioned outside the U.S. Capitol in August 2025.  (Getty Images)

A California study in 2023 found that violent crime tripled in the state under its “Zero Bail” policy.

“Every single individual and every case should be evaluated by a judge, an independent magistrate, who can look at that person’s criminal history, look at the facts of the current case and make an informed decision about what their risk level is and what’s it going to take to make sure that they don’t go out and harm somebody again,” Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig told Fox News Digital at the time. “That needs to happen in every case.”

Another version of cashless bail, according to Rice, is called unsecured bond. In those situations, bond is set with a dollar value, but the defendant doesn’t have to post it unless they miss a court date.

“Well, the funny part about that is, is if somebody doesn’t show up to court, they’re probably not going to pay a bond either,” Rice told Fox News Digital. “So it really is a ludicrous idea to have these unsecure bonds, but cashless bond is becoming more popular in a lot of these blue states, a lot of the more liberal states. And I think a lot of these states are starting to see a backfire on them.”

In particular, he said, low-level criminals who are released go back to committing crimes like shoplifting and burglary almost immediately, before their pending cases go to court, lowering the quality of life and keeping crime levels high even in areas where murders are down.

In Baltimore, for example, medical advances have made it more likely for victims to survive shootings.

“What we see is that people that got shot who maybe 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago would have died, they go to Shock Trauma, and they save them,” he said, referring to the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Shock Trauma Center. “So while the murder number may drop, the shooting number may be consistent or be going up, which is still a sign of crime in a city.”

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Convicted killer of 6-year-old boy walks free after serving less than half his 20-year sentence

Convicted killer of 6-year-old boy walks free after serving less than half his 20-year sentence

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A 42-year-old man convicted…
Fans erupt at Taylor Swift's 'dig' at Travis Kelce's ex Kayla Nicole

Taylor Swift Sparks Fan Reactions with Apparent Reference to Travis Kelce’s Ex, Kayla Nicole

With the release of her 12th studio album, The Life Of A…
Alaskan climbing star dies in fall from Yosemite's El Capitan

Tragic Fall Claims Life of Renowned Alaskan Climber on Yosemite’s El Capitan

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — A popular Alaskan climber fell to his death…
Small beach town's misery as ocean swallows 7th home in two days

Coastal Community Devastated as Ocean Claims 7th House in Just 48 Hours

Another home collapsed into the Atlantic on Wednesday night. It brings the…
Trump declares drug cartels operating in Caribbean unlawful combatants

Trump Labels Caribbean Drug Cartels as Unlawful Combatants

WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump has declared drug cartels to be unlawful…
Trump-Epstein statues make return to National Mall

Statues of Trump and Epstein Reappear on the National Mall

(The Hill) Statues depicting President Donald Trump and the late convicted sex…
Dave Chappelle takes jabs at Charlie Kirk and 'free speech' in US

Dave Chappelle Criticizes Charlie Kirk and Discusses US ‘Free Speech’ Issues

Dave Chappelle said he had more ‘free speech’ to make jokes about Charlie…
Who is the British citizen of Syrian descent accused of synagogue terror attack?

Who is the British citizen of Syrian descent accused of synagogue terror attack?

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The suspect behind the…