Woman shoots neighbor in the face with a flare gun

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

she's out of jail already?

[Deuxcents]

1. I don't care how old she is..she belongs in jail

[Attilatheblond]

2. Should be on a 72 hour psych hold at the very least.

[3Hotdogs]

3. And somehow, Jesus was also involved in this.

[Princess Turandot]

4. Under the newish NYS bail reform law, pretrial defendants are released from custody and given a desk appearance ticket

NB: This is very very simplified..

In the past, the need to put up cash bail is largely what kept people in jail before trial. Bail (or measures such as home confinement/monitoring) is now allowed only in cases where someone is considered a flight risk, and where, to begin with, the specific crime is one where bail is even permitted under the law.

Most crimes (including all misdemeanors and most felonies) in NYS fall into the category where a judge cannot require bail.

There are some situations where a judge can remand someone to prison because they present a danger to others, but those are very limited, and have to be run through a process before that can be ordered.