Earlier this year (2023), citizens of Wisconsin voted to amend the state constitution to allow a court to consider the totality of the circumstances when making bail decisions for a person accused of a violent crime; this means that the court can now consider the accused's previous convictions for a violent crime, the probability that the accused will fail to appear, the need to protect the community from serious harm and prevent witness intimidating, and potential affirmative defenses. Under previous law, the court could only consider whether bail was necessary to ensure that the accused person appears in court. Do you agree with the citizens who voted to allow the courts to consider more factors when setting bail? Why or why not?

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

The decision to amend the state constitution in Wisconsin to allow courts to consider a broader range of factors when making bail decisions for those ... View the full answer