6 Essential Policing Reforms and Ken Good on Bail Reform During COVID

On today's episode of Felony Friday John is joined by Ken Good. Ken has argued cases before the Supreme Court of Texas and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, along with numerous courts of appeals, including the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is the author of "Good’s on Bail," a practice guide created for bail industry professionals. In addition, he has written numerous articles on the subject of bail reform, including, “What Successful Bail Reform Looks Like.”  

Prior to the interview with Ken, John starts things off by speaking about 6 essential policing and criminal justice reforms that will de-escalate the current tense situation on the streets of this country and setup an environment where we can begin to get the boot off the neck of the citizens. For more detail on these, listen to the show. 

1. Demilitarize the police. Stop programs that transfer military equipment used in foreign wars to local communities.

2. Decriminalize all drugs. This will minimize police interaction. There is no reason for intervention in consensual transactions. Furthermore, we should treat drug abuse/addiction as a health issue rather than criminal. The drug war was founded in racism and it has done more damage to the black community than any other government initiative.

3. End occupational licensing. Allow insurance and the market to regulate. Furthermore, this will minimize police intervention in consensual transactions.

4. Ban no-knock raids. They escalate tensions and create an unsafe environment for all parties. The risk far exceeds any reward.

5. End Qualified Immunity. Government officials should not be placed in a tier above citizens. We need equality under the law.

6. Mandate that lawsuits filed against police officers are paid out by either insurance or police pension funds. There is no reason for the taxpayer to be held responsible for paying the victims of police brutality.