The film Dear Zachary, directed by Kurt Kuenne, makes an argument in response to a very specific situation: the murder of Kuenne’s best friend Andrew Bagby and Bagby’s son Zachary, both killed by Andrew’s ex-girlfriend Shirley Turner. Kuenne argues that bail should be denied to anybody accused of a serious crime who also has custody of a child. While this argument is reasonable, it only provides a solution for very narrow circumstances. For the greater protection of society as a whole, an expanded version of Kuenne’s stance on bail laws is necessary. Bail should be denied not only to people accused of a serious crime who have custody of a child, but also to anybody suspect of a violent crime. In instances where a person with a child commits …show more content…
In the United States Constitution, rights of the accused are ensured in various places. The fifth and fourteenth amendment both contain a due process clause, which ensures that nobody can be denied liberty without due process of law. Some may use this clause to argue that refusing bail to people, thus keeping them in jail before being tried, is unconstitutional. Another way in which people could argue that denying bail to anybody violates the Constitution is through the eighth amendment, which prohibits excessive bail; in this case, the interpretation of “excessive bail” is not providing any opportunity for bail. Most other democracies guarantee rights of the accused similar to those provided in the United States Constitution, allowing for similar arguments to be made in other countries. However, despite these provided liberties, the government also has a responsibility to protect the safety of its citizens. If one person who was accused of a serious crime but does not turn out to be guilty has to spend time in jail awaiting their trial, it is worth it if the lives of other people are saved. Although the rights of the accused are extremely important, human lives should be protected whenever possible: ultimately, the safety of civilians is more