Kentucky high court asked to fix ‘badly broken’ bail system

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A state agency says Kentucky’s pretrial release system is “badly broken.” To fix it, the state Department of Public Advocacy has asked the Kentucky Supreme Court to set “clear constitutional rules.” In a petition to the state’s highest court Friday, the department says Supreme Court action is needed to protect defendants’ rights to reasonable bail. Kentucky’s overcrowded county jails are clogged with people who can’t afford to post bail. The department claims the current bail system violates due process and equal protection rights. The request comes amid the new Democratic governor’s push for lawmakers to pass criminal-justice reforms.