Nothing But Love :: golf blogger

On the Right to Bail

The 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution establishes the right to reasonable bail. And shouldn't a civilized society which subscribes to the presumption of innocence and requires that a person be proven guilty of a crime only by proof beyond a reasonable doubt have such compassion?

The right distinguishes this country from other societies, like those presided over by dictators and the military, in which individuals are held for indeterminate lengths of time without being charged and without bail.

How could this happen in America? How can one who is innocent, not just presumed innocent, but actually innocent of any wrong-doing be detained by the authorities and held without any opportunity to be released on bail, let alone without the opportunity to petition for a writ of habeas corpus, especially when the one accused of the crime is released on bail?