US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order limiting the use of no-bail bail in Washington.
“We are ending no-bail bail,” Trump said in the Oval Office as he signed the order.
Under the system, defendants are released from prison without posting bail before their trial, agreeing to appear in court.
Trump and other critics of the system argue that it reduces the incentive for defendants to appear in court and endangers public safety by allowing them to return to the streets.
Supporters, however, say it helps low-income people who often cannot afford bail.
Trump has said that Washington is “drowning in a wave of crime.” He has temporarily taken control of the city’s police force, authorized National Guard troops to carry weapons on patrol, and has also threatened to expand the US military presence in other cities, including Baltimore and Chicago.
