New Mexico district attorneys push for changes to bail rules

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Top prosecutors from judicial districts across New Mexico say rules adopted earlier this year for overhauling the state's bail and pretrial detention system have led to confusion within the criminal justice system. Several of the district attorneys gathered in Albuquerque on Thursday to discuss proposed changes to the bail reform rules that were adopted by the state Supreme Court and implemented in July. The rules were in response to a constitutional amendment overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2016. The aim was to ensure dangerous defendants remain in custody pending trial, while allowing for the release of nonviolent suspects who might otherwise languish in jail because they cannot afford bail. The district attorneys say there's no uniformity in how the rules are being interpreted in courtrooms across the state and that the language should be clarified.