Court Opinion

ID: 9899224
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-16 16:05:45.947244+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:19:56.340923
License: Public Domain

Cite as 2023 Ark. 168
                 SUPREME COURT OF ARKANSAS
                                                  Opinion Delivered: November 16, 2023

 IN RE ARKANSAS SUPREME
 COURT COMMITTEE ON
 CRIMINAL PRACTICE – ADOPTION
 OF REVISED RULES 8.5 AND 9.2 OF
 THE ARKANSAS RULES OF
 CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

                                         PER CURIAM

       The Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Criminal Practice recommended

amendments to Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure 8.5 and 9.2. The proposed

amendments were published for comment on June 22, 2023. See In re Ark. Sup. Ct. Comm.

on Crim. Prac., 2023 Ark. 114 (per curiam).

       Today, we adopt the amendments to and republish Rules 8.5 and 9.2, as set out

below in full as well as in “line-in, line-out” fashion (deleted material is lined through; new

material is underlined). The amendments are effective January 1, 2024.

       We thank the members of the Criminal Practice Committee for their work on this

project.

                         Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure

Rule 8.5. Pretrial release inquiry: when conducted; nature of.

(a) A pretrial release inquiry shall be conducted by the judicial officer prior to or at the first
appearance of the defendant.

(b) The inquiry should take the form of an assessment of factors relevant to the pretrial
release decision, such as:
      (i)     the defendant’s employment status, history and financial condition;

      (ii)    the nature and extent of his family relationships;
      (iii)   his past and present residence;
      (iv)    his character and reputation;
      (v)     persons who agree to assist him in attending court at the proper times;
      (vi) the nature of the current charge and any mitigating or aggravating factors that
      may bear on the likelihood of conviction and the possible penalty;
      (vii) the defendant’s prior criminal record, including history of violence, if any,
      and, if he previously has been released pending trial, whether he appeared as required;
      (viii) any facts indicating the possibility of violations of law if the defendant is
             released without restrictions, including the risk that the defendant will commit
             a serious crime, intimidate witnesses, harass or take retaliatory action against
             any witness, or otherwise interfere with the administration of justice or pose
             a danger to the safety of any other person; and
      (ix)    any other facts tending to indicate that the defendant has strong ties to the
              community and is not likely to flee the jurisdiction.
(c) The prosecuting attorney should make recommendations to the judicial officer
concerning:
      (i)     the advisability and appropriateness of pretrial release;
      (ii)    the amount and type of bail bond;

      (iii)   the conditions, if any, which should be imposed on the defendant’s release.

Rule 9.2. Release on money bail.

      (a) The judicial officer shall set money bail only after he determines that no other
      conditions will reasonably ensure the appearance of the defendant in court.

      (b) If it is determined that money bail should be set, the judicial officer shall require
      one (1) of the following:
              (i)     the execution of an unsecured bond in an amount specified by the
                     judicial officer, either signed by other persons or not;

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       (ii)    the execution of an unsecured bond in an amount specified by the
               judicial officer, accompanied by a deposit of cash or securities equal to
               ten per cent (10%) of the face amount of the bond. Ninety per cent
               (90%) of the deposit shall be returned at the conclusion of the
               proceedings, provided the defendant has not defaulted in the
               performance of the conditions of the bond; or
       (iii)   the execution of a bond secured by the deposit of the full amount in
               cash, or by other property, or by obligation of qualified sureties.
(c) In setting the amount of bail the judicial officer should take into account all facts
relevant to the risk of willful nonappearance including:

       (i)     the length and character of the defendant’s residence in the
               community;
       (ii)    his employment status, history and financial condition;
       (iii)   his family ties and relationship;
       (iv)    his reputation, character and mental condition;
       (v)     his past history of response to legal process;
       (vi)    his prior criminal record, including history of violence, if any;
       (vii)   the identity of responsible members of the community who vouch for
               the defendant’s reliability;
       (viii) the nature of the current charge, the apparent probability of conviction
              and the likely sentence, in so far as these factors are relevant to the risk
              of nonappearance, including the risk that the defendant will commit a
              serious crime, intimidate witnesses, harass or take retaliatory action
              against any witness, or otherwise interfere with the administration of
              justice or pose a danger to the safety of any other person; and
       (ix)    any other factors indicating the defendant’s roots in the community.

(d) Nothing in this rule shall be construed to prohibit a judicial officer from
permitting a defendant charged with an offense other than a felony from posting a
specified sum of money which may be forfeited or applied to a fine and costs in lieu
of any court appearance.
(e) An appearance bond and any security deposit required as a condition of release
pursuant to subsection (b) of this rule shall serve to guarantee all subsequent
appearances of a defendant on the same charge or on other charges arising out of the
same conduct before any court, including appearances relating to appeals and upon

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       remand. If the defendant is required to appear before a court other than the one
       ordering release, the order of release together with the appearance bond and any
       security or deposit shall be transmitted to the court before which the defendant is
       required to appear. This subsection shall not be construed to prevent a judicial officer
       from:
               (i)    decreasing the amount of bond, security or deposit required by another
                      judicial officer; or
               (ii)   upon making written findings that factors exist increasing the risk of
                      willful nonappearance, increasing the amount of bond, security, or
                      deposit required by another judicial officer.
      Upon an increase in the amount of bond or security, a surety may surrender a
defendant.

Rule 8.5. Pretrial release inquiry: when conducted; nature of.
(a) A pretrial release inquiry shall be conducted by the judicial officer prior to or at the first
appearance of the defendant.
(b) The inquiry should take the form of an assessment of factors relevant to the pretrial
release decision, such as:
       (i) the defendant’s employment status, history and financial condition;
       (ii) the nature and extent of his family relationships;
       (iii) his past and present residence;
       (iv) his character and reputation;
       (v) persons who agree to assist him in attending court at the proper times;
       (vi) the nature of the current charge and any mitigating or aggravating factors that
       may bear on the likelihood of conviction and the possible penalty;
       (vii) the defendant’s prior criminal record, including history of violence, if any, and,
       if he previously has been released pending trial, whether he appeared as required;
       (viii) any facts indicating the possibility of violations of law if the defendant is released
       without restrictions;, including the risk that the defendant will commit a serious
       crime, intimidate witnesses, harass or take retaliatory action against any witness, or
       otherwise interfere with the administration of justice or pose a danger to the safety
       of any other person; and
       (ix) any other facts tending to indicate that the defendant has strong ties to the
       community and is not likely to flee the jurisdiction.

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(c) The prosecuting attorney should make recommendations to the judicial officer
concerning:
       (i) the advisability and appropriateness of pretrial release;
       (ii) the amount and type of bail bond;
       (iii) the conditions, if any, which should be imposed on the defendant’s release.
Rule 9.2. Release on money bail.
(a) The judicial officer shall set money bail only after he determines that no other conditions
will reasonably ensure the appearance of the defendant in court.
(b) If it is determined that money bail should be set, the judicial officer shall require one (1)
of the following:
       (i) the execution of an unsecured bond in an amount specified by the judicial officer,
       either signed by other persons or not;
       (ii) the execution of an unsecured bond in an amount specified by the judicial officer,
       accompanied by a deposit of cash or securities equal to ten per cent (10%) of the face
       amount of the bond. Ninety per cent (90%) of the deposit shall be returned at the
       conclusion of the proceedings, provided the defendant has not defaulted in the
       performance of the conditions of the bond; or
       (iii) the execution of a bond secured by the deposit of the full amount in cash, or by
       other property, or by obligation of qualified sureties.
(c) In setting the amount of bail the judicial officer should take into account all facts relevant
to the risk of willful nonappearance including:
       (i) the length and character of the defendant’s residence in the community;
       (ii) his employment status, history and financial condition;
       (iii) his family ties and relationship;
       (iv) his reputation, character and mental condition;
       (v) his past history of response to legal process;
       (vi) his prior criminal record, including history of violence, if any;
       (vii) the identity of responsible members of the community who vouch for the
       defendant’s reliability;
       (viii) the nature of the current charge, the apparent probability of conviction and the
       likely sentence, insofar as these factors are relevant to the risk of nonappearance;,

                                                 5
       including the risk that the defendant will commit a serious crime, intimidate
       witnesses, harass or take retaliatory action against any witness, or otherwise interfere
       with the administration of justice or pose a danger to the safety of any other person;
       and
       (ix) any other factors indicating the defendant’s roots in the community.
(d) Nothing in this rule shall be construed to prohibit a judicial officer from permitting a
defendant charged with an offense other than a felony from posting a specified sum of money
which may be forfeited or applied to a fine and costs in lieu of any court appearance.
(e) An appearance bond and any security deposit required as a condition of release pursuant
to subsection (b) of this rule shall serve to guarantee all subsequent appearances of a
defendant on the same charge or on other charges arising out of the same conduct before
any court, including appearances relating to appeals and upon remand. If the defendant is
required to appear before a court other than the one ordering release, the order of release
together with the appearance bond and any security or deposit shall be transmitted to the
court before which the defendant is required to appear. This subsection shall not be
construed to prevent a judicial officer from:
       (i) decreasing the amount of bond, security or deposit required by another judicial
       officer; or
       (ii) upon making written findings that factors exist increasing the risk of willful
       nonappearance, increasing the amount of bond, security, or deposit required by
       another judicial officer.
      Upon an increase in the amount of bond or security, a surety may surrender a
defendant.

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