Monroe County Sheriff Lies About Bail Reform

The Monroe County Sheriff attempted to tie bail reform to a recent rise in shootings without supportive data. This increase is occurring in jurisdictions across the country and is not tied to bail reform.

Fact Check: False, Fearmongering

The Briefing

On Monday, Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter falsely claimed bail reform has led to an increase in shootings and other crimes in his jurisdiction.  

Sheriff Todd Baxter has repeated a thoroughly discredited claim that bail reform leads to a rise in crime, exploiting legitimate safety concerns to push for more jailing despite clear facts against this stance. Importantly, the data that the Sheriff claims undermines bail reform coincides with the arrival of COVID-19 and its attendant widespread devastation, destabilization and trauma, leading to nationwide increases in instances of gun violence. Just yesterday, the C.D.C issued a report on surging nation-wide gun deaths in the pandemic’s first year. This increase is not tied to bail reform, but is occurring in jurisdictions across the country. And as the Sheriff ought to know, bail reform did not change the law as it relates to gun charges.

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