Some court-watchers say LA judges are setting higher bail for Latinos

A report by La Defensa, a legal reform nonprofit, found that Latino defendants in L.A. County Superior Court received average bail amounts 15 times higher than white defendants and three times higher than Black defendants in 2025. The court disputes the findings, citing lack of context on charge severity and criminal history, while La Defensa’s Court Watch LA program uses volunteer observers to document bail disparities.