Is bail reform responsible for rising crime in Harris County? That's the topic of discussion with our team of experts on this week's Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall.

Scrutiny over Harris County’s felony bond system has increased in the wake of the surge in violent felony crimes over the last year.

KPRC 2 Investigates reviewed more than 250 murder and capital murder court cases to find out how much say Harris County prosecutors have when it comes to bond.

A stricter felony bail system in the State of Texas is a step closer to reality following the third day of the Special Session in Austin.

At the time of the shooting, Ybarbo was out of jail on two other bonds, accused of two other crimes. AdThe De Leons not only blame Ybarbo but also Judge Ramona Franklin of the 338th Harris County District Court. Harris County Precinct 1 (Ellis): 12 casesHarris County Precinct 2 (Garcia): 9 casesHarris County Precinct 3 (Radack/Ramsey): 4 casesHarris County Precinct 4 (Cagle): 2 casesHarris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis is considered the architect of bail reform in Harris County, by backing judges with similar philosophies about reform. Bettencourt and Miles support new bipartisan legislation to keep violent suspects off the streets, forcing judges to follow the law, not their own personal discretion, especially when a suspect is charged with other crimes. AdFacing a surge in homicides, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner agrees bonds should be provided in low-risk cases, not for suspects with a violent history.

KPRC 2 Investigates examined the history of low bonds, or personal bonds, given to people accused of being repeat offenders. Unsecured bonds in felony casesAnother concern is the increasing use of unsecured, or personal bonds, in felony cases. In 2015, out of all the felony bonds issued, 3.4% were unsecured. Personal bonds issued by courtKPRC 2 Investigates looked at 18,369 felony cases with pending court dates in Harris County. Below is a breakdown by felony court of how many personal bonds and general order bonds were issued in these cases.

Baker Institute Doctor is pushing for changeThe pandemic continues to take its toll, hitting families and children particularly hard. Dr. Quianta Moore is a Fellow in Child Health Policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. She is a guest on Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall and says the pandemic impact can be felt by the decreased availability of childcare and Pre-K facilities. Among the Baker Institute recommendations to the Biden administration is a push for more funding for those centers because of the role they play in society. “They’re involved in trafficking, they’re doing the worst of the worst and law enforcement is going out of their way.

While a federal lawsuit addressed inequities in misdemeanor cases, the way bond in felony cases is handled remains in dispute. Kahan said his research found 42 such defendants in murder cases since 2018. Many in law enforcement, including Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, have been particularly critical of a system allowing those accused of crimes to be released on multiple bonds. “We have people that have been booked for murder, charged with murder, released while charged with murder and murdering again,” said Acevedo. 9 similar defendantsHere is a closer look at the similar bond cases that Channel 2 Investigates found.