Albany Talking About Reforming Bail Reform [POLL]

NEW YORK — There is no doubt that bail reform in New York, which went into effect at the beginning of the year, has been controversial. Cash bail was eliminated for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, but some in law enforcement felt it would result in dangerous people being released, because judges had no discretion to consider flight risk or a person's criminal record.

Democrats in Albany have taken up the call with talk of overhauling the system — again.

What they are considering this time around is abolishing bail completely and increasing the types of crimes someone can be held for, Newsday reported.

Under the proposal, a suspect can either be jailed or monitored by the court system or released on his own recognizance until a court date, with judges able to consider the nature of the crime, criminal history and flight risk.

Long Island Democrat Sen. Tod Kaminsky said the proposal would give judges more discretion over who can be held in jail, NBC New York said, perhaps allaying the fears of law enforcement.

He added that a judge could weigh whether the suspect might cause serious physical injury and the likelihood of returning to court.

Tina Luongo, attorney-in-charge at the Legal Aid Society, is worried that the change would play into fear mongering by law enforcement that would undo reforms that were debated and well thought out, Gothamist reported.

She said it adds the concept of the suspect's "dangerousness" into the mix, something lawmakers had avoided for decades.

So now it's your turn to weigh in on the issue. Vote in our unscientific poll and tell us what you think in the comments.