The Governor’s Plan to Improve Public Safety had a public hearing Friday morning before the Senate State Affairs Committee. The comprehensive reform bill came from a series of meetings the past few months. Minnehaha County States Attorney Aaron McGowan told the committee that it is a well-designed bill and says the proposal gives prosecutors more disgression. McGowan says cutting back on preliminary hearings will save money and police time…
There were quite a few witnesses who testified against the section that would eliminate the preliminary hearing for misdemeanors. Huron attorney David Wheeler testified that the right to a preliminary hearing has been in state law a long time…
Wheeler says the preliminary hearing acts as a gatekeeper…
Wheeler says states attorneys are often too busy to hear all the information in a case early on…
The bill passed unanimously out of committee and was sent to the Senate floor with a “do pass” recommendation.