Walk It Through: The Bond Hearing
The cause of the arrest, an interim bond, and the default for a misdemeanor.
After a shoving match outside a bar, a person is arrested and held overnight.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
One night and one charge. Release conditions, the court rules on bond hearings, and the assault charge itself are not worked through here.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Interim bondMoney posted with the arresting officer, a supervisor, or the sheriff or deputy in charge of the jail, after an arrest for a misdemeanor punishable by not more than 1 year, when no magistrate is available.
- Operating while visibly impairedOperating a vehicle when the ability to operate is visibly impaired by alcohol or another substance.
- Retail fraudTaking goods, switching or hiding a price to pay less, or getting a refund for goods never paid for, in a store or its immediate vicinity while it is open.