Puerto Rico says “No”

By a 54-46 margin, Puerto Rico Voters Reject Constitutional Amendments, To Reduce Legislature Size And Limit Bail In Certain Cases (h/t Puerto Rico eNews),

With just over 86 percent of polling places reporting, officials said 54 percent of the 669,990 votes counted rejected the legislative measure and 46 percent favored it. Fifty-four percent opposed the bail measure and 46 percent supported it.

The politicians in the legislature were frantic about losing their jobs (and those of their families, friends and cronies hired as assistants, consultants, and staff), but here’s the important part,

The referendum’s results mean Puerto Rico remains the only place in the Western Hemisphere where everyone is entitled to bail regardless of the alleged crime.
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The bail amendment would have granted judges the right to deny bail to those accused of premeditated murder, killing a police officer or killing someone in a public space or during a home invasion, sexual assault or drive-by shooting..

Puerto Rico – already a transport point for drugs to the USA and the EU – thereby remains particularly attractive, not only for its geography, to enterprising drug lords who know they can always get out, intimidate witnesses, kill again, and jump bail even when they kill a cop, if caught.

Related:
13 Alleged Gang Members in Puerto Rico Indicted

U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez says the suspects are charged with five murders, two attempted murders and drug trafficking.

Cross-posted in The Green Room.