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Sec. 40-11-104. Release of
defendants; authority
Any magistrate may release the defendant on his own
recognizance pursuant to Sec. 40-11-115 or Sec.
40-11-116 or admit the defendant to bail pursuant to
Sec. 40-11-117 or Sec. 40-11-122 at any time prior to
or at the time the defendant is bound over to the
grand jury. The trial court may release the defendant
on his own recognizance pursuant to Sec. 40-11-115,
admit the defendant to bail under Sec. 40-11-116, Sec.
40-11-117 or Sec. 40-11-122, or alter bail or other
conditions of release pursuant to Sec. 40-11-144 at
any time prior to conviction or thereafter, except
where contrary to law.
40-11-105. Right to bailÑBail by
clerkÑMaximum amounts. (a)(1) When the
defendant has been arrested and/or held to answer for
any bailable offense, he is entitled to be admitted to
bail by the committing magistrate, by any judge of the
circuit or criminal courts, by the clerk of any
circuit or criminal co urt; provided that if the
defendant is admitted to bail by the clerk of any
circuit or criminal court, he has the right to
petition the judge of such court if he feels the bail
set is excessive, and he shal be given notice of this
fact by such clerk.
(2) The clerk of any circuit or criminal court may
only admit the defendant to bail when the judge is not
present in the court and the clerk reasonably believes
that he will not be present within three (3) hours
after the defendant has been committed to the county
or city jail, following arrest.
(b) In no event may a clerk set the amount of bail in
excess of:
(1) One thousand dollars ($1,000) if the defendant was
charged with a misdemeanor;
(2) Ten thousand dollars ($10,000) if the defendant is
charged with a felony that does not involve a crime
committed against a person;
(3) Fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) if the defendant
is charged with a felony that involves a crime
committed against a person; or
(4) One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) if the
defendant is charged with some form of homicide.
Sec. 40-11-114. Written undertakings; contents
Bail, when not given in open court, is given by a
written undertaking, containing the conditions of
release, the agreement of the defendant to appear in
the court having jurisdiction of the offense as
directed by the court and/or an amount to be paid for
nonappearance, signed by the defendant, and if made
under Sec. 40-11-122(b) herein, signed also by
court-approved and sufficient surety or sureties. The
written undertaking must be approved by the officer
taking same.
40-11-115. Release on recognizance or unsecured
bond-- Factors considered
(a) Any person charged with a bailable offense may,
before a magistrate authorized to admit him to bail,
be ordered released pending trial on his personal
recognizance or upon the execution of an unsecured
appearance bond in an amount specified by the
magistrate.
(b) In determining whether or not such a person shall
be released as provided herein and that such a release
will reasonably assure the appearance of the person as
required, the magistrate shall take into account:
(1) The defendants length of residence in the
community;
(2) His employment status and history and his
financial condition;
(3) His family ties and relationships;
(4) His reputation, character and mental condition;
(5) His prior criminal record including prior releases
on recognizance or bail;
(6) The identity of responsible members of the
community who will vouch for defendant's reliability;
(7) The nature of the offense and tha apparent
probability of conviction and the likely sentence,
insofar as these factors are relevant to the risk of
nonappearance; and
(8) Any other factors indicating the defendant's ties
to the community or bearing on the risk of willful
failure to appear.
40-11-116. Conditions on release.
(a) If a defendant does not qualify for release upon
recognizance under 40-11-115, then the magistrate
shall impose the least onerous conditions reasonably
likely to assure the defendant's appearance in court.
(b) If conditions on release are found necessary, the
magistrate may impose one (1) or more of the following
conditions:
(1) Release the defendant into the care of some
qualified person or organization responsible fro
supervising the defendant and assisting him in
appearing in court. Such supervisor shall maintain
close contact with the defendant, assist him in making
arrangements to appear in court, and, where
appropriate, accompany him to court. The supervisor
shall not be required to be financially responsible
for the defendant, nor to forfeit money in the event
he fails to appear in court.
(2) Place the defendant under the supervision of an
available probation counselor or other appropriate
public official.
(3) Impose reasonable restrictions on the activities,
movements, associations and residences of the
defendant.
(4) Impose any other reasonable restriction designed
to assure the defendants appearance, including, but
not limited to, the deposit of bail pursuant to
40-11-117.
Sec. 40-11-117. Bail in lieu of conditions
Absent a showing that conditions on a release on
recognizance will reasonably assure the appearance of
the defendant as required, the magistrate shall, in
lieu of the conditions of release set out in Sec.
40-11-115 or Sec. 40-11-116, require bail to be
given..
40-11-118. Execution and deposit--Bail set no
higher than necessary--Factors considered.
(a) Any defendant for whom bail has been set may
execute the bail bond and deposit with the clerk of
court before which the proceeding is pending a sum of
money in cash equal to the amount of the bail. Upon
depositing this sum the defendant shall be released
from custody subject to the conditions of the bail
bond. Such bail shall be set as low as the court
determines is necessary to reasonably assure the
appearance of the defendant as required.
(b) In determining the amount of bail necessary
to reasonably assure the appearance of the defendant
while at the time protecting the safety of the public,
the magistrate shall consider the following:
(1) The defendant's length of residence in the
community;
(2) The defendant's employment status and history and
the defendants financial condition;
(3) The defendant's family ties and relationships;
(4) The defendant's reputation, character and mental
condition;
(5)The defendant's prior criminal record and record of
appearance at court proceedings or of flight to avoid
prosecution or failure to appear at court proceedings;
(6) The nature of the offense and the apparent
probability of conviction and the likely sentence;
(7) The defendant's prior criminal record and the
likelihood that because of such record the defendant
will pose a risk of danger to the community;
(8) The identity of responsible members of the
community who will vouch for the defendant's
reliability; however, no such member of the community
may vouch for more than two (2) defendants at any time
while charges are still pending or a forfeiture is
outstanding; and
(9) Any other factors indicating the defendants ties
to the community or bearing on the risk of the
defendant's willful failure to appear.
(Effective date: 7-1-96)
(c) (1) Whenever a court's judgment includes the
requirement that the defendant pay a fine or cost, the
court may require that the payment of the fine or cost
be secured by surety bond or other appropriate
undertaking if such defendant has a history of past
due fines and costs. A parent, guardian or other
responsible party may be permitted to act as surety in
order to guarantee payment of the fine or cost.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
contrary, unless the surety executes a bond agreement
which specifically makes the surety liable for the
fine, cost, or restitution, no surety shall be held
liable therefore without the surety's consent.
Sec. 40-11-122. Security; real estate or
sureties
In lieu of the bail deposit provided for in Sec.
40-11-118, any defendant for whom bail has been set
may execute a bail bond which may be secured as
provided in this section. The bail may be secured by:
(1) Real estate situated in this state with nonexempt
unencumbered equity owned by the defendant or his
surety worth one and one-half (1 1/2) times the amount
of bail set. If the bail bond is secured by real
estate, the defendant or his surety shall execute a
deed of trust conveying the real estate in trust to
the clerk who shall immediately file the deed of trust
in the office of the register of the county in which
the real estate is situated. The costs of preparation
of the deed of trust and recordation shall be paid by
the defendant;
(2) A written undertaking signed by the defendant and
at least two (2) sufficient sureties, and approved by
the magistrate or officer. Such sureties under this
section shall not be professional bondsmen or
attorneys; or
(3) A solvent corporate surety or sureties or a
professional bail bondsman as approved, qualified or
regulated by Secs. 40-11-101 -- 40-11-144 and part 3
of this chapter. No bond shall be approved unless the
surety thereon appears to be qualified.
Sec. 40-11-123. Surety; sufficiency
(a) Each of the sureties shall be worth the amount
expressed in the undertaking, subject to the
execution; but the court, magistrate or officer in
taking bail, may allow more than two (2) sureties to
justify severally in amounts less than that expressed
in the undertaking, if the whole qualification be
equivalent to two (2) sufficient sureties.
(b) The district attorney general, or the court,
magistrate or officer, may examine the sureties on
oath touching their sufficiency, in such manner as he
may deem proper. The court or magistrate may also
receive other testimony, either for or against the
sufficiency of sureties.
Sec. 40-11-130. Bond or recognizances; duration
Where the defendant in a criminal case executes a bond
or recognizance before any court or other person
authorized by law to take the same, for the
defendant's personal appearance before a court, to
answer a criminal charge, the bond or recognizance
shall be valid and binding upon the defendant and the
defendant's sureties thereon for the defendant's
personal appearance before the court from the time of
arrest, preliminary hearing, bind over to the grand
jury and trial until the case is finally terminated or
stricken from the docket and the defendant discharged
by the court. The defendant shall not be required to
renew the bond or recognizance unless ordered to do so
by the court because of the insufficiency of the bond
in amount or the insolvency of the same or on
forfeiture of bail, or for other good and sufficient
causes; provided, that the sureties on the bond may
surrender the prisoner and be released on the bond as
now provided.
Sec. 40-11-150. Domestic violence arrests;
conditions of release
(a) In addition to the factors set out in Sec.
40-11-118, in making a decision concerning the amount
of bail required for the release of a defendant who is
arrested for any criminal offense defined in title 39,
chapter 13, in which the alleged victim of the offense
is a family or household member as defined in Sec.
36-3-601, or is in violation of an order of protection
as authorized by title 36, chapter 3, part 6, the
magistrate shall review the facts of the arrest and
detention of the defendant and determine whether the
defendant is:
(1) A threat to the alleged victim or other family or
household member;
(2) A threat to public safety; and
(3) Reasonably likely to appear in court.
(b) Before releasing a person arrested for or charged
with an offense specified in subsection (a), or a
violation of an order of protection, the magistrate
shall make findings on the record if possible
concerning the determination made in accordance with
subsection (a), and may impose conditions of release
or bail on the defendant to protect the alleged victim
of any such offense and to ensure the appearance of
the defendant at a subsequent court proceeding. The
conditions may include:
(1) An order enjoining the defendant from threatening
to commit or committing specified offenses against the
alleged victim or other family or household member;
(2) An order prohibiting the defendant from harassing,
annoying, telephoning, contacting or otherwise
communicating with the alleged victim, either directly
or indirectly;
(3) An order directing the defendant to vacate or stay
away from the home of the alleged victim and to stay
away from any other location where the victim is
likely to be;
(4) An order prohibiting the defendant from using or
possessing a firearm or other weapon specified by the
magistrate
(5) An order prohibiting the defendant from possession
or consumption of alcohol or controlled substances;
and
(6) Any other order required to protect the safety of
the alleged victim and to ensure the appearance of the
defendant in court.
(c) If conditions of release are imposed, the
magistrate shall:
(1) Issue a written order for conditional release;
(2) Immediately distribute a copy of the order to the
law enforcement agency having custody of the
defendant; and
(3) Provide such law enforcement agency with any
available information concerning the location of the
victim in a manner that protects the safety of the
victim.
(d) The law enforcement agency having custody of the
defendant shall provide a copy of the conditions to
the defendant upon the defendant's release. Failure to
provide the defendant with a copy of the conditions of
release does not invalidate the conditions if the
defendant has notice of such conditions.
(e) If conditions of release are imposed without a
hearing, the defendant may request a prompt hearing
before the court having jurisdiction of the offense
for which the defendant was arrested or is charged to
review the conditions. Upon such a request, the court
shall hold a prompt hearing to review the conditions.
Punishment for a violation of any condition of release
shall be as provided by law.
(f) When a defendant who is arrested for or charged
with an offense specified in subsection (a) or with a
violation of an order of protection is released from
custody, the law enforcement agency having custody of
the defendant shall:
(1) Use all reasonable means to immediately notify the
victim of the alleged offense of the release; and
(2) Furnish the victim of the alleged offense at no
cost a certified copy of any conditions of release.
(g) Release of a defendant who is arrested for or
charged with a crime specified in subsection (a) or
with a violation of an order of protection shall not
be delayed because of the requirements of subsection
(f).
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