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Judiciary Committee hears sharp debate over bill limiting cashless pretrial release
Summary
HB2611 would require hearings and presence of defendants before unsecured (OR/PR) release, restrict OR/PR to nonperson offenses, and add enumerated qualifications; proponents argued it would protect public safety, opponents warned it would swell jail populations and remove judicial discretion for individualized assessments.
The House Judiciary Committee heard hours of testimony on HB2611, a bill that would restrict the use of unsecured release (often called personal recognizance or PR/OR bonds) by requiring an in-person hearing and limiting that release option to certain nonperson offenses only.
Sponsor Rep. Laura Williams told the committee the bill would set "clear, uniform guardrails" ensuring unsecured release is available only for defendants who meet enumerated criteria and are low risk. Williams said the change preserves judicial discretion but binds it to statutory qualifications so pretrial release decisions "are tied to…
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