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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- BAIL AND RECOGNIZANCE

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Canario, McNamara, Almeida, Edwards, and Hull

     Date Introduced: May 22, 2015

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 12-13-10, 12-13-16 and 12-13-16.1 of the General Laws in

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Chapter 12-13 entitled "Bail and Recognizance" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     12-13-10. Deposit of money in lieu of bail. -- Any person who is held in custody or

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committed upon a criminal charge, if entitled to be released on bail, may at any time, instead of

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giving surety or sureties, in the discretion of the court, give before the court in which he or she is

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held to appear his or her personal recognizance to appear and do as ordered by the court, and shall

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be allowed to deposit, either individually or by another on his or her behalf, with the court in

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money ten percent (10%) of the amount of bail which he or she is ordered to furnish, and the

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justice or clerk of the court shall give him or her a certificate, and upon delivery of the certificate

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to the officer in whose custody he or she is shall be released from custody, and the money shall be

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deposited in the registry of the court before which the person shall be recognized to appear.

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Consistent with Article 1, § 9 of the Rhode Island Constitution the giving of surety or in the

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alternative the deposit with the court of ten percent (10%) of the amount of bail set shall be the

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sole monetary conditions of the release on bail, except as set forth herein. No court shall require

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the deposit of cash as the sole monetary condition of the release on bail, except in those cases

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where the defendant owes court-imposed restitution. Upon the default of the defendant the court

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before which he or she is recognized to appear may, at any time thereafter, order the money

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deposited in the registry of the court or in the discretion of the court the entire amount of the bail

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set to be forfeited, subject to the provisions of §§ 12-13-16, 12-13-16.1 and 12-13-16.2, and the

 

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money shall be paid to the general treasurer. If money has been deposited and the defendant at

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any time before forfeiture shall appear before the court to which he or she was recognized to

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appear, and shall surrender himself or herself, or shall recognize before the court with sufficient

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surety or sureties, in such an amount, to appear and do as the court may order, or be in any

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manner legally discharged, then the court shall order the return of the deposit to the defendant. If

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the money remains on deposit at the time of a judgment for the payment of a fine and costs,

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restitution, or any other assessment issued by the court, the clerk must apply the money in

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satisfaction of the judgment, and after satisfying the fine and costs, restitution, or any other

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assessment must refund the surplus, if any, to the defendant or to the individual who posted the

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money on behalf of the defendant, as the case may be.

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     12-13-16. Process on default of recognizance. -- (a) Whenever any person under

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recognizance shall fail to perform the condition of his or her recognizance, or failed to appear as

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required by the terms and conditions of his or her bail or recognizance, the default shall be

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recorded and process shall be issued against the persons bound in the recognizance, or those of

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them as the attorney general shall direct.

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     (b) No process for forfeiture of bail nor any petition for forfeiture of bail may be filed, by

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the attorney general or his or her designee or otherwise initiated prior to the expiration of forty-

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five (45) days after any warrant issued by any court has been entered into the court’s database, the

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database of the bureau of criminal identification (BCI) for the state of Rhode Island and the

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database for the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

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     12-13-16.1. Forfeiture of bail. -- (a) In any criminal case, whenever, after a hearing, it

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has been shown to the satisfaction of the court that the defendant has left the jurisdiction of the

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court or has failed to appear as required or has failed to perform the condition of his or her

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recognizance, the court shall order that the bail and/or any security for bail be forfeited.

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     (b) Provided however that any person who has had bail posted with the assistance of a

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licensed bondsperson, and who is subsequently arrested on a bench warrant and brought before

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the court, or who fails to appear and is subsequently brought before the court without the

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intervention of or through a licensed bondsperson, shall not be released by the court on the same

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bail unless and until the licensed bondsperson who posted the original bail has been notified and

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been provided an opportunity to be heard regarding the licensed bondsperson's willingness to

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continue as surety for the defendant/bailee. The court may however release the defendant within

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twenty-four (24) hours if the licensed bondsperson cannot be located or otherwise fails to appear

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to address the court relative to the original bail.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 12-13 of the General Laws entitled "Bail and Recognizance" is

 

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hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     12-13-16.2. Forfeiture of bail -- Licensed bondsperson. -- (a) In any criminal case,

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whenever a forfeiture of bail has been ordered pursuant to § 12-13-16.1 and where the bail and/or

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security for bail has been posted by a licensed bondsperson registered with the court, the court

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shall only order an amount to be forfeited up to but not more than ten percent (10%) of the

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original bail set and pledged as surety.

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     (b) Subsequent to any forfeiture of bail pursuant to § 12-13-16.2(a) and prior to the

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forfeiture of further surety pledged by a licensed bondsperson provided herein, the court shall:

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     (1) Provide the licensed bondsperson a period of time equal to six (6) months to return

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the fugitive to the court before further pledged surety shall be forfeited. Before ordering further

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forfeiture the court shall conduct a hearing and provide the licensed bondsperson an opportunity

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to demonstrate all reasonable actions the bondperson took to locate, apprehend, and return the

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fugitive to the court. The court shall consider the due diligence of the licensed bondsperson in

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determining how much, if any, of the remaining amount of surety the bondsperson shall be

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ordered to forfeit for the failure or inability to locate, apprehend and return the fugitive to the

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court. The court at that time may provide the licensed bondsperson with additional time in which

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to locate and return the fugitive.

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     (2) In the event that the licensed bondsperson fails or is unable to locate and return the

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fugitive, the court may order an amount to be forfeited up to, but not more than, ten percent

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(10%) of the original bail set and pledged as surety, plus the reasonable expenses incurred by the

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state in attempting to locate and apprehend the fugitive; and provided, further, that if the fugitive

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is found and presented before the court within six (6) months of the issuance of the warrant, there

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shall be no forfeiture.

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     (3) The bondsperson shall be responsible to pay all fees and costs associated with the

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entry of any warrant into the BCI or the NCIC prior to its entry into either database as required in

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§12-13-16(b). Upon request of the bondsperson, the clerk of the court shall provide a certified

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copy of the arrest warrant to the bondsperson without charge to insure the bondsperson’s ability

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to locate, apprehend and return the fugitive from outside the state of Rhode Island.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- BAIL AND RECOGNIZANCE

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     This act would limit the amount of bail that may be forfeited by the court upon a

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defendant’s violation of the terms and conditions of his or her bail, to ten percent of the surety

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deposited with the court and would provide a licensed bondsperson additional time in which to

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locate and return a fugitive to the court before ordering further forfeiture of any surety posted. It

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would provide that the attorney general be prevented from filing a petition or beginning process

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to forfeit bail until at least forty-five (45) days have passed from the entry of an arrest warrant

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into the court’s database and the databases of the Bureau of Criminal Identification and National

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Crime Information Center. In the event that the licensed bondsperson fails or is unable to locate

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and return the fugitive to the court, the court may order the forfeiture of the balance of any

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amount deposited by the bondsperson less reasonable expenses incurred by the state in attempting

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to return the fugitive.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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