New Bail Bond Laws Keep Repeat Offenders Off the Streets

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) - Keeping our community safer by keeping repeat offenders off the streets. That's the goal of a new law that went into effect this week.
It requires people on probation and parole to see a district court judge before getting bond on new felony offenses.
Local prosecutors say it sends a tough message to repeat offenders.
There are more than 3,500 people on parole and probation in New Hanover County.
If one of them commits another crime, they'll have to stay in jail until they can get a court hearing to set their bail.

One bail bondsman tells us this will hurt his bottom line.

Anthony Newkirk hasn't been a bail bondsman very long, but he knows business is the slowest it's been in years.

This week, business got worse.

"Weekends and holidays, tremendously. It will tremendously affect our business," says Newkirk.
That's because under a new North Carolina law that went into effect December 1st, people who commit a felony while on probation or parole will have to go before a district court judge to get bail.
Prior to December 1st, they could just see a magistrate at the jail.

New Hanover and Pender Counties district attorney Ben David says, "This law makes it much tougher on career criminals in the criminal justice system to get out if they've committed another offense while they're on probation."

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