State Sen. Maxwell: Protecting Hoosier Communities

Maxwell is reminding voters of a public question that will appear on the ballot this November

INDIANAPOLIS - We can all agree that we need to have safe and secure communities here in Indiana. That is something I will always fight for at the Statehouse. However, it's hard to keep our communities safe when dangerous criminal suspects are routinely released on bail, only to commit more crimes while they await trial.

To be clear, this is not the fault of Indiana judges. Their hands are tied, as our state constitution requires all suspects to be offered bail except in the case of murder or treason. The only way this can be changed is with an amendment to our state constitution.

That is why I supported Senate Joint Resolution 1 this year, which gives voters the chance to amend our state constitution and give judges the power to deny bail to dangerous suspects who they believe pose a serious risk to the public.

Now it is time for Hoosiers to vote on it. The language we voted on will appear on the ballot as Public Question 1 and will ask Hoosiers to approve an amendment to the state constitution that addresses the problem of the revolving door of repeat criminals. If a majority of Hoosiers vote in favor of the amendment, it will become part of Indiana's Constitution, and judges will have the power to deny bail to suspects they believe pose a threat to the public. Similar measures have been adopted by over 30 other states.

If this amendment is passed, I also supported legislation creating guardrails to protect the rights of suspects to ensure their right to a speedy bail hearing, their right to an attorney, their right to have a judge set out the reasons for their bail determination in writing and their right to appeal their bail determination. Withholding bail should only be used for the worst of the worst cases.

As your state senator, I will continue working hard to ensure our communities are as safe as they can be.

As always, I encourage constituents to reach out to me with any questions or concerns by filling out a "Contact Me" form on the IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Maxwell website or by calling my office at 800-382-9467.