Opinion ID: 2690033
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Bail and surety bonds

Text: {¶ 15} “Bail” is defined as security for the appearance of an accused to appear and answer to a specific criminal or quasi-criminal charge in any court or before any magistrate at a specific time or at any time to which a case may be continued, and not depart without leave. R.C. 2937.22(A). Bail may take several forms, including cash and surety bond (the written assurance by one or more persons to forfeit the sum of money set by the court if the accused does not appear). Id. {¶ 16} The sole purpose of bail is to ensure a person’s attendance in court. State ex rel. Baker v. Troutman, 50 Ohio St.3d 270, 272, 553 N.E.2d 1053 (1990). “Bail ensures appearance. Therefore, the conditions placed on it must relate to appearance and the reasons for forfeiture to nonappearance.” Id. {¶ 17} Surety bail-bond agents are regulated under the Department of Insurance, and must be licensed by that agency to sell surety bail bonds. R.C. 3905.83 et seq. A “surety bail bond” is “a court accepted bond instrument from a licensed insurance company issued for or on behalf of an incarcerated person held under criminal charges.” Ohio Adm.Code 3901-1-66(C)(3). 5 SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 2. History of right to bail and to “sufficient sureties” in Ohio {¶ 18} In Smith v. Leis, 106 Ohio St.3d 309, 2005-Ohio-5125, 835 N.E.2d 5, we reviewed the history of the right to bail in Ohio, and we rely heavily on ¶ 18-51 of that opinion in the discussion that follows. {¶ 19} Ohio’s first Constitution provided in Article VIII, Section 12, that “all persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, unless for capital offenses, where the proof is evident or the presumption great” and provided in Article VIII, Section 13, that “[e]xcessive bail shall not be required.” The 1851 Ohio Constitution moved these provisions to Article I, Section 9: All persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, except for capital offences where the proof is evident, or the presumption great. Excessive bail shall not be required; nor excessive fines imposed; nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. The 1851 version of Article I, Section 9 remained effective until January 1, 1998. 1997 Sub.H.J.Res. No. 5, 147 Ohio Laws, Part IV, 9014, 9016. {¶ 20} To implement the bail provisions, this court adopted Crim.R. 46 in 1973, which provided, before its amendment on July 1, 1998: (A) Purpose of and right to bail. The purpose of bail is to ensure that the defendant appears at all stages of the criminal proceedings. All persons are entitled to bail, except in capital cases where the proof is evident or the presumption great.