New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippmann is refusing to wait on Congress to reform our broken bail system.

Last week, Judge Lippmann said, “Defendants who are unable to post bail serve a sentence before their cases are ever resolved.” And, he added, “They do so regardless of innocence or guilt, and the harm that this injustice causes is intolerable.”

That's why Judge Lippmann announced that he will use his legal authority to set up automatic bail reviews for everyone brought in for misdemeanor charges.

Although he can't change national policy, Judge Lippman's new guidelines will require all New York state judges reconsider bail amounts within 10 days, and he will urge them to consider affordable alternatives to high bail costs as well.

He said, “It is fundamentally unfair for a person's liberty to be all about how much money you have.” And he is exactly right.

Our entire Justice System is biased against those who can't afford a strong defense, and Judge Lippman's policy is one strong step towards re-balancing the scales of justice.