Source: Joseph Okpako / Getty
A no-bail policy reinstated by the city of Los Angeles doesn’t sit well with 50 Cent, who proclaims the city will be “finished” as a result.
The rapper and entertainment mogul shared his opinion along with a video of a news report on the policy in a social media post Friday (July 7). In the caption of the Instagram post 50 Cent wrote, “LA is finished watch how bad it gets out there. SMH,” adding the hashtags for his Branson cognac and Le Chemin Duroi champagne brands. The post has received over 110,000 likes to date.
Los Angeles County has gone back to its Emergency Bail Schedule after Superior Court Judge Lawrence Riff ruled that cash bail was “unconstitutional” in May, responding to a case brought by plaintiffs who said cash bail harmed their situations. He wrote in his opinion at the time “that it is highly likely that the opposite is true: secured money bail regimes are associated with increased crime.” The ruling covers the period of time between when someone is booked and when they first appear before a judge to be prosecuted. That time varies from two to five days. The zero bail policy was first adopted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zero bail for low-level offenders has been a controversial policy, with critics chastising New York politicians such as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for installing it. Critics of LA’s policy claim that it will lead to more violent crimes being committed, with Deputy District Attorney Eric Siddall saying, “It’s 100% ‘catch and release,’” before adding: “You do a smash-and-grab, you’re going to be released in time to do a second one on the same day.” Other critics cite a USA Today study published in March that provided a detailed look at the 11% increase in the rate of crime in Los Angeles in 2022, with a 25% increase in the downtown sector.
Members of the Los Angeles Police Department and other observers have pointed to the rise in houseless people in the city as well as an uptick in those suffering mental health issues and substance abuse and property crimes in Westside neighborhoods adding to the totals. The zero-bail policy was set to remain in effect for 60 days, with Los Angeles County being mandated to create procedures and guidelines going forward to be reviewed in a court hearing July 10 before being further implemented.
