Governor Greg Abbott has signed a bill passed during the second special session that adds restrictions to the way people charged with violent crimes can be released on bail. SB 6 passed the Texas Senate 26-5 and the Texas House 85-40.
The law was named for Damon Allen, a Texas state trooper who was killed on Thanksgiving, 2017. The suspect was out of jail on bond on charges he had assaulted a sheriff's deputy.
"This bill will help keep offenders like the one who killed him off the streets and make them safer for our other officers and our communities," says Casey Allen, Damon Allen's wife. "Working as an officer can be an unforgiving and harsh job because many people in the world see law enforcement not as people who are trying to help but as the enemy."
Casey Allen worked with the legislature to pass the bill.
The measure bans the release of suspects in violent crimes on personal bonds. Instead, they will have to pay cash or pay a percentage to a bail bonds company. Those changes will take effect on December 2.
The law also will give judges more information about a suspect's criminal history they can use in determining whether to allow bail. That part of the law takes effect in January.
"The number one duty of any judge, law enforcement officer, house member, governor, lieutenant governor, state senator is public safety. That's number one," says Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.
Opponents say the law will penalize low-income suspects who cannot afford to pay cash and provide a boost for companies that sell bail bonds. They say the law will lead to overcrowded jails and increased "wealth-based detention."
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