Hennepin County's chief district judge has overturned her controversial decision to give people accused of domestic abuse quicker access to bail.
Chief Judge Kerry Meyer made a change in a June 18 standing order that meant that those accused of misdemeanor domestic abuse could be released on bail sooner.
It changed a rule that had stood since January 2019, which stated that the accused would be held without bail until their first court appearance.
But the change last less than a month, with Meyer overturning the decision on July 13, going back to what was previously in place in 2019.
Its surprise removal sparked concern among law enforcement including Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt, as well as advocates for domestic violence victims.
"I immediately reached out to Chief Judge Kerry Meyer with a detailed list of concerns, number one being the potential impacts on victims of domestic violence," Sheriff Witt said in a statement.
Advocacy group Cornerstone didn't know about the change until July 9, and were initially in the dark about why accused abusers seemed to be leaving custody earlier than usual.
"It was a big surprise for us, we had seen some people being released really quickly, and didn't know why that was happening," says Ally Liekens, program coordinator for Cornerstone's civil and criminal justice program. "It took away the opportunity for victims to have a voice and took away the time frame that we typically had to look into getting them into shelter."
"This is a strong example of the importance of conversation and collaboration, with the ultimate goal being public safety,” Sheriff Witt said.
Lieken agrees, saying that the lack of communication was the biggest issue.
"We need to know right away what's gonna happen so we can prepare victims for what they can expect. So communication is definitely an issue here," says Lieken.
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