Duane “Dog” Chapman is no stranger to taking a stand publicly for what he believes in and lives by. One of those major topics is bail reform, something that directly affects his profession and challenges his views on the law.
The laws aim to keep people who commit misdemeanors from being held under cash-only bail and having judges review bail determinations in an expedited fashion, with some states moving it from 30 days to 14 days.
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It’s a topic that will take over an episode of Dr. Phil this week. Chapman will join judges Rosemarie Aquilina and Darrell Jordan, who oppose each other on the issue, Akeem Browder, who lost his brother to suicide after he spent three years for a crime he didn’t commit because he could not afford the bail.
The reality star “strongly opposes” the laws according to the description for the episode, saying it “favors criminals over the safety of the general public.”
Chapman has spoken out about the law that seems to be taking hold in many states across the country. His efforts in California in 2016 and 2017 made headlines, alongside late wife Beth Chapman who was running for president of Professional Bail Agents of the United States.
Beth Chapman said her industry was “under attack” during a chat with In Touch Weekly and both she and Dog lobbied against the law in California. A robocall from Chapman that made the rounds in 2017 highlighted his side’s take on the issue, urging voters to contact their local lawmaker.
“You, the taxpayer, will pay to release these criminals,” Chapman growls in the call according to Mercury News. “Car thieves, burglars, sexual predators, and repeat offenders will get out of jail with little accountability, and we will not be able to go after them when they run.”
Despite this, domestic violence would nullify the law’s effects, but Chapman’s efforts reportedly played a part in the law being voted down in California. Chapman and his late wife also made the rounds to join lawsuits and efforts against similar laws in states like New Jersey, while others like Connecticut and Illinois passed their laws.
This will be the first time that Chapman will speak out about the issue since the passing of his wife Beth in June 2019. Her battle with cancer and final days were shown during the first season of WGN America’s Dog’s Most Wanted.
The Dr. Phil episode will air Tuesday, March 3.
