FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Fresno County Superior Court has decided to rescind the Emergency Zero-Dollar Bail.
This rule meant all misdemeanors and felony offenses were set at $0, except for several offenses listed on the Emergency Bail Schedule.
According to a notice sent out by the Superior Court of California of Fresno County, the rule remained in full force and in effect 90 days after the Governor lifted the state of emergency related to the pandemic or until amended or repealed by a majority of judges of the Fresno Superior Court.
The current bail schedule is referred to as, “Criminal Bail Schedules 2023.”
The State of California set up the zero-dollar emergency bail rule during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to avoid overcrowding in California jails. California’s emergency zero-dollar bail rule expired in mid-2020.
Judges in Fresno County decided to extend the zero-dollar bail rule for Fresno County according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Los Angeles County, ended the zero-dollar bail rule in the summer of 2022.
Fresno’s Police Chief approved of the decision, coming on the heels of the arrest of a suspect with a large amount of Fentanyl on January 3rd, 2023. 23-year-old Pedro Miranda Muro of Los Angeles had been pulled over in the area of Interstate 5 and Highway 33. Officers making the traffic stop searched his vehicle and found nearly 230,000 pounds of Fentanyl along with $12,000 worth of heroin. Officers seized the drugs and Muro was arrested but he was released just hours later because of the no bail rule.
Please see the attached statement from Chief Balderrama regarding the decision.
“I am pleased to hear the Fresno County Superior Court has rescinded Rule 3.1.14 regarding
Paco Balderrama, Chief of Fresno Police
emergency zero-dollar bail for the Fresno County 2023 jail bail schedule. It was reasonable to
institute this temporary order during the peak of COVID-19 to reduce the spread the virus. As this threat has significantly diminished for some time, it is appropriate to return to pre-COVID
operations. The spike in violent crime experienced in 2020 and 2021 can be partially attributed to
the pandemic and the early release (in many cases within hours) of arrestees who were then
subsequently involved in more crime. A lack of consequences and accountability do not foster a
practice of non-violence for those who do not respect the law or a peaceful society.”
“The Fresno Police Department is dedicated to ensuring the safety of all community members. We actively pursue this goal by identifying and apprehending violent criminals, then bringing them before the courts for a fair determination and dissemination of legal accountability. Although I am a strong proponent of rehabilitation, mental health services, and other violence reduction efforts associated with procedural justice, these must be balanced with consistent accountability and appropriate consequences for serious crime. We look forward to further reductions in violent crime with the elimination of the practice of zero-dollar bail”.
