Rapper 50 Cent pushes back on ‘zero bail’ policy that, like bail funds, puts alleged criminals back on the street
July 10, 2023
Rapper 50 Cent pointed out this week that zero bail is a policy that doesn’t work, on the simple grounds that those who have – allegedly – just committed a crime are put straight back on the streets with no cost to what they have – allegedly – just done.
As 50 Cent said in an Instagram post, “LA is finished watch how bad it gets out there,” now that Los Angeles has moved to a no-cash bail system. As we noted when there were celebrity donations to bail costs in Minnesota: “No one should be working to increase divisiveness, and no one should be facilitating the violence on our streets.”
As we reported on at the time, when celebrities were covering bail for violent protesters in Minnesota: “No one should be working to increase divisiveness, and no one should be facilitating the violence on our streets.”
Accuracy in Media didn’t just report on it — we acted. AIM mobilized a huge network of activists to send a message to the celebrities who bailed rioters out, sending nearly 40,000 emails and making thousands of phone calls to these celebrities’ managers, agents, and publicists, telling them to publicly condemn violence.
This is precisely the kind of violence 50 Cent is referencing. The round trip from street crime through arrest to being out again within hours to be available for more street crime. There has to be that pause in the system — for some, at least.
It’s worth knowing the detail here. A judge can determine bail as he or she wishes. Well, that’s true in a proper system. So if a suspected – alleged – criminal does not require a bail that costs something, that is possible. The difference with zero-bail systems is that those who do need it cannot have it imposed.
We’ve seen what happens when politics corrupt systems instead of justice. Time and again, we’ve seen liberal celebrities bragging about how they bailed people out and patted themselves on the back.
The Bail Project – backed by celebrities like John Legend, Richard Branson, and Danny Glover – paid the cash bail of one individual in Las Vegas after one they’d paid the bail for on an earlier charge then shot someone. Eleven times. That’s 11 more shots than a properly working bail system would have allowed.
We’ve also seen the increased use of PR bonds (“personal recognisance”) rather than cash bail lead to a crime spike in Denver. It’s important to understand that PR bonds are always available – it’s when politics insists upon fewer cash bonds that the problem arises.
The politics come from liberal and progressive groups like the Center for American Progress. They insist that violence doesn’t rise, although it does. They also say that no cash bail reduces the harm to those accused. That last, well, maybe, but part of the job of the criminal justice system is to minimize harm to those suffering from crime. Of course, It is always the poorest who suffer most from the crime. And releasing those caught in the act of violent crime back out onto the streets doesn’t protect the citizenry at all.
The idea of the no-cash bail or zero bail is indeed being pushed by progressives nationally. Illinois just started it this year. Under the law, cash bail isn’t even allowed anymore.
What’s going to happen is what did happen in Denver, what 50 Cent is predicting for Los Angeles. Keeping accused criminals off the street is vital to keeping us out here, the population, safe.
Sure, it’s not great for those accused. But then, that’s a good indication of who the progressives are arguing for. They insist that cash bail should not exist – something that makes life better for the accused and worse for you.