Russ Buettner reports in The New York Times on New York's chief judge Jonathan Lippman's annual State of the Judiciary speech, delivered in Albany, Tues., Feb. 5. Lippman called the bail process in New York unfair to the poor, and said the system is susceptible to allowing dangerous suspects to be set free. Lippman called for an overhaul of the bail system to bring the state closer in line with the rest of the country. He said New York was one of four states that does not permit judges to consider public safety when making a bail determination. Lippman also said the bail system was stacked against those accused of minor crimes, keeping them in jail at great personal hardship and weakening their resolve in plea negotiations. He also called for the expansion of supervised release programs that monitor defendants awaiting trial and provide them access to social services, like programs to help overcome drug and alcohol abuse. Read the full story in The New York Times.