SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno continues to push for a change in the judicial bail system that addresses violent repeat criminal offenders. Bail is used as a way to ensure the defendant will show up for their next court date. The judge also has to consider the defendant’s financial resources when setting bail. When the bail is set in the District Court, offenders have the right to appeal to a judge in the Superior Court and then to a single Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the Commonwealth cannot. Brother of victim of police-involved shooting in Springfield deemed dangerous "If a defendant does not like their bail decision in district court, they can kick it up to Superior court," said Sarno." If they don't like it there, they can kick it up to a single justice of the state Supreme court. We, the people and the businesses of the Commonwealth and the City of Springfield, have no such right." Right now, Prosecutors are able to seek a dangerousness hearing but judges have to ignore a defendant’s criminal history when determining their dangerousness. The legislation was introduced as a result of repeat violent criminal offenders being let off at arraignments with low bail and returning to communities to commit more crimes. In an effort to reduce the amount of repeat offenders, 1 to 2 percent according to Mayor Sarno, the bill would allow prosecutors to appeal bail decisions, much like criminal attorneys do for their clients. On Thursday, Mayor Sarno requested State Representative Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. to refile the bail reform legislation, An Act Relative to the Commonwealth’s Right to Appeal Bail Decisions. Puppolo has been refiling this legislation since 2015 and said he intends to continue working with the mayor, Police Superintendent Larry Akers and District Attorney Anthony Gulluni in moving this bill through the legislative process. "I want to thank State Representative Angelo Puppolo for his continued efforts and leadership in refiling this much-needed common sense, public safety and quality of life legislation.  The intent of this legislation is to give our Commonwealth and District Attorney’s equal footing when addressing violent repeat criminal offenders as it relates to the ability of appealing bail set in District Court.  Too often, we see repeat criminal violent offenders involved and charged with illegal guns, drugs and other violent crimes back on our streets and in our neighborhoods on low or no bail.  They have no regards for the conditions in which they are released – GPS ankle bracelet, probation; none of these conditions of their release seems to deter these 1-2% of repeat violent criminal offenders from committing more crimes in our neighborhoods and negatively impacting the public safety and quality of life for our residents and business community," Mayor Sarno said. Opponents to the bill say the proposed law would give prosecutors too much power and keep people in jail for long terms before a trial, especially low-income persons who can't make bail. Local News Headlines Respiratory illnesses are on the rise in Massachusetts this winter Sarno, Puppolo push for bail reform to keep violent repeat offenders in jail Drugs, gun seized during Holyoke investigation Cold temperatures cause ice to form on rivers and ponds WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.