A recent state Supreme Court decision on high bail has created a jump in Dona Ana County's jail population. The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that after the November decision, the southern New Mexico county had to change the way bail was set. That led to a lag in setting bail as officials worked through the changes. Magistrate Court Presiding Judge Joel Cano says workers do not like the new directive. Last month, the state's highest court ruled that judges couldn't use exorbitant bond setting to keep a criminal defendant in jail pending trial. For years, bail schedules have been common at jails all over New Mexico. They allow for most of those in custody to post bail quickly. But critics say bail schedules contradict state law because they use only the offense charged to determine bail amount.
