There’s no comment from a Minnesota judge about why he abruptly reversed a local court policy that was allowing domestic violence suspects to be freed from jail on as little as $150 cash bond, but the change followed almost immediately a posting of the get-out-of-jail practice online.
The situation has been profiled in a report at the Minnesota Sun, which noted the details were confirmed by CrimeWatchMpls on social media.
The report said officials in the Hennepin County Court system recently modified a standing order regarding domestic abuse suspects. The old policy required them to be held until they had appeared before a judge, so that orders, like no-contact instructions and such, could be implemented.
But Hennepin County District Court Chief Judge Kerry Meyer changed that.
His new order allowed “suspects arrested on probable cause misdemeanor domestic abuse to be released from custody on cash bail as low as $150 just hours after their arrest and before seeing a judge. Suspects arrested on a probable cause gross misdemeanor domestic abuse charge could post cash bail as low as $1,000 and be released from custody before being brought before a judge, or having no-contact orders issued in either case,” according to postings by the crime watch group.
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The prior 2019 “standing order” required a party arrested on misdemeanor domestic assault to be held without bail until appearing before a judge and having bail set and/or having conditions set such as a no contact order with the victim. pic.twitter.com/008xD9JVqk— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) July 13, 2024
That change was posted for people to see Friday evening.
“Less than 24 hours after the information was posted on Crime Watch’s X feed, Chief Judge Meyer issued a new order on Saturday evening rescinding the portion of the June 18 Standing Order that applied to misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor suspects jailed on probable cause domestic abuse,” the report explained.
It said Meyer explained, ““This Order is intended to revert misdemeanor domestic offenses to the 2019 Standing Order provisions, put gross misdemeanor domestics in that same position, and clarify no contact orders will issue upon release until future amendment.”
The report said that means those who are arrested on suspicion of domestic violence must remain in jail until they appear before a judge who would make decisions regarding limits.
Meyer, in a statement to reporters, said he would have no further comment beyond the order.
CrimeWatchMpls said, “This is a small but significant victory that shows the power of this platform ad those of you who took action in contacting the court following our post.”
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