The Springfield Mayor isn’t taking no for an answer.
He has written to State Representative Angelo Puppolo asking him to refile a bail reform bill that the mayor says DA’s and Police desperately need.
This will be the tenth year in a row that the mayor will file the measure.
Currently when bail is set- only a defendant has the right to appeal.
The Sarno Reform measure would allow District Attorneys the same right.
Mayor Sarno states, “I want to thank State Representative Angelo Puppolo for his continued efforts and leadership in refiling this much-needed common sense, public safety and quality of life legislation. The intent of this legislation is to give our Commonwealth and District Attorney’s equal footing when addressing violent repeat criminal offenders as it relates to the ability of appealing bail set in District Court. Too often, we see repeat criminal violent offenders involved and charged with illegal guns, drugs and other violent crimes back on our streets and in our neighborhoods on low or no bail. They have no regards for the conditions in which they are released – GPS ankle bracelet, probation; none of these conditions of their release seems to deter these 1-2% of repeat violent criminal offenders from committing more crimes in our neighborhoods and negatively impacting the public safety and quality of life for our residents and business community.”
State Representative Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. stated, “At the request of Mayor Sarno, I intend to refile this legislation. My colleagues and I will continue to work diligently with the Mayor, Police Superintendent Larry Akers and District Attorney Anthony Gulluni in moving this bill through the legislative process.”
The mayor says that too many times in his city he is seeing repeat violent offenders out of the street with either no bail or very low bail and the proposed measure would put an end to that.
(Photo: John Baibak, WHYN News)