Trump signs orders to curb cashless bail and withhold federal funding

President Donald Trump on Aug. 25 signed a package of executive orders aimed at curbing so called cashless bail policies nationwide, directing the Justice Department to identify jurisdictions that have largely eliminated money as a condition of pretrial release and threatening to withhold federal funding from those places. A separate order instructs federal prosecutors and law enforcement in the District of Columbia to pursue federal charges and hold offenders in federal custody whenever possible, a measure the administration said is meant to prevent defendants from being released pending trial.

The orders direct Attorney General Pam Bondi to submit a list within 30 days of states and localities that have substantially reduced or eliminated cash bail for offenses the White House calls a clear threat to public safety, including many violent crimes and property offenses. The administration said federal grant funding and contracts to those jurisdictions may be suspended or terminated consistent with law. In Washington, the orders also call for a special unit of the D.C. National Guard and for federal law enforcement to seek federal custody in lieu of local pretrial release.