Bail is an amount of money placed as security with the court to assure that a person accused of a crime will return to court when needed.
Setting bail is at the sole discretion of the judges and commissioners of the Criminal District Court. A judge or commissioner may also place conditions upon the accused or refuse their release because of safety concerns to the community.
Whoever posts bail for a defendant will assume responsibility for a defendant’s appearance in court. If a defendant fails to appear as required, an arrest warrant will be issued and the posted bail can be forfeited.
Bond amounts generally are set by a magistrate judge or commissioner at an initial court appearance within 72 hours of arrest.