An Extra Measure of Safety

It’s a sad sign of the times that, in a county as safe as Ventura, the most dangerous person in many people’s life is the one they love most.

That’s why it was necessary to revise the county’s bail guidelines and make it harder for suspects in violent crimes to get out of jail after arrest.

Among the changes likely to be felt close to home, bail doubled for domestic violence charges such as domestic battery, violation of a restraining order and spousal rape. Also, bail now is automatically doubled for those with a previous domestic violence charge.

The changes were inspired by the December slaying of 37-year-old Vicki Shade by her estranged boyfriend, Roland Sheehan. He had violated restraining orders 15 times before he was jailed for stalking Shade. Despite repeated threats that he intended to kill her, Sheehan was soon released on $20,000 bail. One month later, he broke into Shade’s home and held her at knifepoint during a nine-hour standoff before stabbing her to death. He was then killed by police.

Aiming to make such tragedies less likely, a panel of judges last week raised the bail for numerous offenses, including murder, which jumped from $250,000 to $500,000; rape, from $50,000 to $100,000; and first-degree burglary, from $10,000 to $50,000. Under the new guidelines, Sheehan would have needed to post $100,000 rather than $20,000.

The changes put Ventura County more in line with surrounding counties, including Los Angeles and San Bernardino, both of which have among the toughest bail guidelines in Southern California.

One of the biggest concerns for the more than 5,000 women counseled each year by the Ventura County Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence is the fear that her attacker will easily get out of jail and return to her doorstep madder than ever.

Higher bail should provide peace of mind and an extra measure of safety to those trapped in a nightmare like Vicki Shade’s.