**JIM**

### MATTOX Altorney 

### General supr0m9 c4m8ullelw **P. 0.** **BOX 12540**  **Aualln, TX**  **79711-2546 5rZN7+2501**  **T*Ior****91w57L1357** l*lecoplw **512l47M295**

**4524 Alber(a** **me., swe**  **lb0 El** **Paso. TX.** **7-2793 915i53&348(** 

**1001 TOXEE.**  **sutte 700**  **Nou¶lon. lx.**  **T7w2-3111 7lY223YU16** 

**a06****aroadw*y.****SUIIO 312**  **Lubbock. TX.** **794013(79 Ka747a236** 

**4309 N.** **Tmlh. Sub**  **B YcAlm.**  **TX 76501-1685**  **512m245.47**

**2w Makl** **Plur. sutte** **4m San** **Antonlo. TX.** **762052797 512a25-4191**  

# TheAttorney’ General ofTexas

October 22, 1985

Eouorablc 8. Tati !Lturtieeteban chnirmnn Natural Rc~ourcc~ Ctmdttec Texas StAtA **SeaAts** P. 0. Box 12068, C.al@tol Station Austin, Texas 78’l:ll
Dear Senator Saatimteban: 

### ~piaion AO. Jx-363 Re: Authority of **A**judge to restrict the type of ball available to s defendant

You have recpesttd our opinion regarding the authority of A magistrate to restrict the type of bail available to AILaccused. Artlclc 17.01 of the Code of Criminnl Procedure define6 “ball” **AS**

the 

### secu~clty given by the accused 

### that he till appear md ausver before the proper court the sccusatj,ao brought against bin. md Includes a ball bor,d,or apersonal bond. (Papbaeis added). l-bus* Gill” 16 merely an undertaking by au accuecd, for the purpose of cffecl,i.ng his release. It cnn **takn At**  lesst two forms under the statute, A “ball bond” or a “persoual boud.” These two kinds of bail ‘51 not appear to be exclusive aud. gloen the magistrate’s broa’i discretlou in fixing ball, other forms of security maybe autbo&ed, See V.T.C.S. Art. 1715. - One form of “6ecurlty” specifically authortied **16** the ball bond demribed in 

### nrtic:lc 17.02:

A ‘bail bond’ 16 avritten undertaking eutered Fnto b!r the defendant and his suretIc 

### for tbc sppearance of the prlnclpsl therein before sow court (81magistrate to au6ver A criminal **~CCU~A** tioa; **p:ov%ded, hovever,**  that **the** defendant upou execution of **6uch** ball bond may

### d6po6it **vith the**  **cuetodl6n** of fund6 of the court in which **the orosemtlon**  **IA vendian**  **current wncy**  of **th6 United**  **itot. 1,~** **the &aunt**  

### of. **the bond**  **10.**liau 

### of having euretGi **iddcd),- eignlng**  **the tame.** 

**. .**  **.** (EMPHASIS

Another form of “security” specifically 6uthorlred is **the personal**  **bond** deecribad III article 17.03:**HOaOrAble H.**  TAti **SAntieAtebAn -**  **IPAge**

### 2 (JH-363)

**The** 

### court **before whom**  **the cane**  **16 pending**  **AA~. in**  **it6 discretion,**  **reltaee** 

### the defendnat on **hi6** perrooal bond without 6ureties or other 6ecurlty.
In light of the6e conslderc&lone, **YOU AAk:** 

1. May the court require **A** defendsot to po6t bail fa CA6honly? 2. May the court Bet the amount of boil but Agree to nccept A **caeh** percentage in lieu of 

### that AWUUt? 3. iay the tourt 6Ct **A** differential **boll** Amount depending upon **the** type of bond. &. **A** cash bond of $1,000 or Asurety bmd of $lO,OOOt
In Ex psrte DeAtoa. 

### 582 !;,W.2d 151 (Tex. 

### Crlm. App. 1979). the trill court hsd ordered A defendant to post “A $15,000 cn6b bond 

### for nppeal purposes.” The court 

### of criminal nppesls held the&

[t]he Authority grs,ated the court in Article 

### 44.04

. . . to ‘impose reasonAble coaditloas on bail pending the fia%:tity of hi6 convictioa’ does not vest the court with the discretion to require A cash or surety bond to the exclusion of **the other.**  

### 582 S.U.2d At 153. LiMee. la Ex parte 

### Rodriguez. 583 S.Y.2d 792 (Tex. Crib. App. 1979). the C,DUrt of Criminal Appeal6 said 

### that A requirement th6t **A** bond “be ]wsted ia cssh is not nuthorized under 

### l rtlcle 17.02.” 

### 583S.W.2d **At** 793. We conclude that AmAgi6trnte may not require l **a AccuAed**  **to** post ilbail bond in CASbonly. 

### As to your second questl.oa, boil **16** by **6tAtUt6** 

### the 6ecurlty required by Amagistrate And May Include **A** boil bond or A persoaal bead. We **constnse** your question to inquire whether Acourt my set **A** “boil bond” 

### fn A certain **6mount** nad 

### then agree to Accept **A** leseer pcrceatnge la lieu 

### of the face **ammat of**  the “boil bond.” Although SuCb practiCs hA6 6ppAreUtly existed ia **VAriOU6** TexA6 jurl6dictions, **6ee 7** 

### 8. **Wl116oa,** Texao CriailUll Forms, 147.19 (Texas Prsctice 1977). rdo 

### not believe it **i6** sutlwrired by section 17.02. We offer no opiaioa oa the coadltioa6 that Amagi6trate Mayrequire in conjunction vith the issu~ace 

### of A**per6onr.l** bond under eectioa 17.03. Fia~lly, we believe it jr Cl-r that Aosgistrrte msynot set A “dif fereatinl 

### boil Amount” d’cpendiag upon whether **A CA6h**  **or surety**  **bond i6**  **used.** The r6AsOdag of ruch **cA6e6** AS Denton sad **Rodriguez iadicrter**  

### th6t. if **A Court**  ftiH:S boil in tbe **6IMJUat**Of $23,000. it MY not, 

### under the term6 

### of nrtic:ic! 17.02. require thnt -at if the boil Is 6Ati6fied by eurety bond. 

### hut **Accept** A **leS6Ar** amount if the bail **16** 

## .. I \.

p. 1666Roaornble H.

# Tot1 Snatie6tcb4~mi - PAge 3 (JH-363

6Ati6fied by CA6h. 

### Weemphcdse, however, thAt nrtlcles 17.01 And 17.15 confer upon A court brood discretion, 60 hllg AS it 16 rlaeoosbly exercised. in 6ett:tag boll.



### A smglstrste hns brood discretion in rettlag the Amount nad coaditioa6 of boil which on Accused mu6t sntlsfy to dbftnia hi6 release. Be may not, however, require 1~11 ACCU6ed t0 pO6t bAi1 iD cnsh only I nor ray be set **A** differeotirl boil bond amount depending upoa whether 

### A cash 

### or surety boad i6 glvea. Very truly you 

# Jf%

& J In tlATTOX Attorney General 

### ofTexas
TOMGREW Pirst Assistant Attorney Gawral DAVID R. RIGRAFDS Executive Assistant Attorney Gencrsl
ROBERTGRAY Specinl Assistnat 

### Attorney G~eaernl RICK GILPIH ChAirmAn. Opinion Committee Prepared by 

### Rick Gilpla ASSiStAnt 

### Attorney **kD6rAl** APPROVED: OPINION COKKITTBE Rick Gilpla. Chairman Colin Cnrl Susan **GArri6oa** Toay Guillory Jimnoellinger Jenalfcr Riggs SArAh Woelk

p. 1667