Bush said lawyers may ask for a stay of Fleissig's order. He said the ruling "could result in the release of potentially dangerous individuals who pose a significant threat to public safety."

But he said Mayor Lyda Krewson supports "reducing the jail population while maintaining public safety."

"The City," he said, "does not think nonviolent offenders, who are not a danger to the public, should languish in jail."

Fleissig faulted existing bail hearings in her ruling, saying they "fall short of constitutional standards" and that the inmates "have a high probability of prevailing on the merits" in the underlying lawsuit, which will continue.

"Ample evidence in the record shows that the duty judge presiding over initial appearances rarely considers information about an arrestee’s financial circumstances because the bond commissioner rarely provides it and arrestees are instructed not to speak," Fleissig wrote, referring to sheriff's deputies who tell inmates not to talk or request a bond reduction at their first appearance in court.

Deputies told one inmate: "'Nobody talk or ask questions,'" Fleissig wrote. They told the inmate they were just trying to get the hearing "done."