Relating to bail and bond amounts and conditions

This bill relates to bail and bond amounts and conditions. The bill provides that when the offense is bailable, the magistrate shall fix bail at the amount endorsed on the warrant unless the bail set on the warrant is less than that specified on the bond schedule. In fixing bail, the magistrate shall not set bail at an amount that is less than, or a percentage of, that on the uniform bond schedule, unless the magistrate provides justification for the deviation in writing. The bill provides that a defendant is only eligible to be released on the defendant’s own recognizance if the defendant has been charged with a nonviolent, nondrug simple or serious misdemeanor. 11). In determining conditions of release, a magistrate may not set bail at an amount that is less than, or a percentage of, that on the uniform bond schedule, or otherwise release a defendant, unless written justification is provided. Current law provides that the bond schedule for release of an arrested person is only used when court is not is session. The bill removes the restriction that the amount of an appearance bond to be deposited with the clerk may not exceed percent of the amount of the bond. The bill provides that if a pretrial release evaluation is completed by the department of corrections for a magistrate to consider prior to the release of a defendant, the evaluator for the department of corrections must verify all of the information contained in the pretrial release evaluation prior to providing it to the magistrate. The bill requires the judicial council to revise and update the bond schedule to adjust for inflation since the previous update that became effective on July 1, 2017. The revised bond schedule shall be submitted to the supreme court no later than July 1, 2027.