A bill aims to quit locking up Utah defendants just because they can’t afford bail

A Utah lawmaker is challenging the system that allows the wealthy to go free while poor Utahns who cannot afford bail remain in jail. HB206 has already passed the House and on Monday advanced through a committee on its way to the Senate floor for final action.Rep. Stephanie Pitcher, D-Salt Lake City, told members of the Senate Business and Labor Committee that currently monetary bail is the most widely used pretrial release tool. Judges set an amount based on a bail schedule — a chart that