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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsCriminal IssuesPublic SafetyNew YorkCriminal JusticeBail ReformJudicial DiscretionStates: New York•••Started 4mos agoActive 1wk ago

Should New York judges have more discretion to set cash bail for repeat offenders and serious misdemeanors?

In 2019, New York passed a landmark law eliminating cash bail for most misdemeanors and non-violent felonies to stop penalizing poverty. Critics, including police unions and some moderate Democrats, argue this triggered a spike in crime by releasing repeat offenders immediately back onto the streets. Supporters maintain that data shows bail reform hasn't increased recidivism and that freedom shouldn't be based on your bank account balance. Proponents support this to restore public safety and judicial power. Opponents oppose this to protect civil rights and end wealth-based incarceration.

Answer Overview

Response rates from 28 America voters.

64%
Yes
36%
No
57%
Yes
18%
No
7%
Yes, judges must be allowed to consider a suspect's dangerousness to the community
18%
No, cash bail criminalizes poverty and keeps innocent poor people in jail
0%
Yes, the 2019 reforms created a revolving door for repeat offenders
0%
No, abolish cash bail entirely and only detain extreme flight risks

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 28 America voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 28 America voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from America voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @BF2ZD4H from New York  answered…1wk1W

Yes, and the judges should be held accountable for handing out incredibly light bail amounts and sentences.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Elizabeth Warren Walks Back Murder Comments

Congressional Democrats broadly denounced the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Friday morning, after Republicans started accusing Sen. Elizabeth Warren of excusing violence.“No one's condoning this,” said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.). “Violence never is the right answer for anything. And it was a horrible murder, a tragic loss for his family.” Warren this week condemned the shooting, but added that people “can be pushed only so far.”"We'll say it over and over," Warren said on MSNBC’S “The ReidOut.” " Violence is never the answer. This guy [Luigi Mangione] gets a trial who's allegedly killed the CEO of UnitedHealth, but you can only push people so far, and then they start to take matters into their own hands."In a statement to POLITICO, Warren said, “Violence is never the answer. Period. I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.” Top Republicans denounced Warren's comments and the walked-back rhetoric, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) calling it “inappropriate and dangerous.”Some House Democrats asked about the incident on Thursday pivoted the conversation to discuss policy options on health care or gun safety.“I don't really know that this is really a space that Congress normally weighs in on,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). “But at the end of the day, I think it’s an opportunity, because now people are talking about health care and to talk about the fact that this industry has honestly not been as helpful as it could be.”“Violence is never the answer,” said Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.). “We know that there are people suffering, there’s great challenges in healthcare. There's great challenges, and people have, in fact, been wronged, but a process of governance is the way to address that, not violence.”And Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) who denounced the murder, said the killer should be prosecuted and that “I do know that allegedly a ghost gun was used, and we should also ban ghost guns. There's no reason for them beyond the streets.”

▲  1614 replies

About This Data

Based on 28 responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

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iSideWith. (2026). “Should New York judges have more discretion to set cash bail for repeat offenders and serious misdemeanors?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 24, 2026, from https://www.isidewith.com/poll/5547327371

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