On January 26, 2026, an Orange County Superior Court judge issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting Riverside County, its Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Chad Bianco from continuing to jail people arrested on lower-level charges before arraignment simply because they are too poor to pay money pail.
On May 28, 2025, HSRD joined with co-counsel at Civil Rights Corps, Public Justice, Akin Gump, and Schonbrun Seplow Harris Hoffman & Zeldes in filing a class action lawsuit against Riverside County Superior Court, Riverside County, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Chad Bianco challenging this unconscionable and unconstitutional practice. In response to this lawsuit, the Riverside County Superior Court issued an updated bail schedule significantly reducing the number of charges automatically subject to money bail following a warrantless arrest in the county. Because the new bail schedule continued to arbitrarily mandate the use of unconstitutional cash bail for many low-level charges, however, the plaintiffs sought a court order prohibiting this practice. The court’s January 26 order further reduces the County’s unconstitutional use of cash bail.
HSRD partner Brian Olney said, “For too long, Riverside County has kept people in jail simply because they are poor. The Court’s order marks the beginning of the end of this unconstitutional and outrageous practice.”
Read press coverage here:
- The Daily Journal: Judge blocks Riverside County from jailing low-level defendants who can’t pay bail
Read the press release here.
Read the court’s order here.