Sec. 54-66. Acceptance and disposition of bail. Pledge of real property as lien. Forfeiture of bond for failure to appear. Issuance of rearrest warrant or capias. Termination or reinstatement of bond.
Sec. 54-66. Acceptance and disposition of bail. Pledge of real property as lien.
Forfeiture of bond for failure to appear. Issuance of rearrest warrant or capias.
Termination or reinstatement of bond. (a) In any criminal case in which a bond is
allowable or required and the amount thereof has been determined, the accused person,
or any person in the accused person's behalf, (1) may deposit, with the clerk of the court
having jurisdiction of the offense with which the accused stands charged or any assistant
clerk of such court who is bonded in the same manner as the clerk or any person or
officer authorized to accept bail, a sum of money equal to the amount called for by such
bond, or (2) may pledge real property, the equity of which is equal to the amount called
for by such bond, provided the person pledging such property is the owner of such
property, and such accused person shall thereupon be admitted to bail. When cash bail
is offered, such bond shall be executed and the money shall be received in lieu of a
surety or sureties upon such bond. Such cash bail shall be retained by the clerk of such
court until a final order of the court disposing of the same is passed; provided, if such
bond is forfeited, the clerk of such court shall pay the money to the payee named therein,
according to the terms and conditions of the bond. When cash bail in excess of ten
thousand dollars is received for a person accused of a felony, where the underlying facts
and circumstances of the felony involve the use, attempted use or threatened use of
physical force against another person, the clerk of such court shall prepare a report that
contains (A) the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the accused person,
(B) the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each person offering the
cash bail, other than a person licensed as a professional bondsman under chapter 533
or a surety bail bond agent under chapter 700f, (C) the amount of cash received, and
(D) the date the cash was received. Not later than fifteen days after receipt of such cash
bail, the clerk of such court shall file the report with the Department of Revenue Services
and mail a copy of the report to the state's attorney for the judicial district in which the
court is located and to each person offering the cash bail.
(b) When real property is pledged, the pledge shall constitute a lien on the real
property upon the filing of a notice of lien in the office of the town clerk of the town in
which the property is located. The lien shall be in an amount equal to the bond set by
the court. The notice of lien shall be on a form prescribed by the Office of the Chief
Court Administrator. Upon order of forfeiture of the underlying bond, the state's attorney
for the judicial district in which the forfeiture is ordered shall refer the matter to the
Attorney General and the Attorney General may, on behalf of the state, foreclose such
lien in the same manner as a mortgage. The lien created by this subsection shall expire
six years after the forfeiture is ordered unless the Attorney General commences an action
to foreclose it within that period of time and records a notice of lis pendens in evidence
thereof on the land records of the town in which the property is located. If the bond has
not been ordered forfeited, the clerk of the court shall authorize the recording of a release
of such lien upon final disposition of the criminal matter or upon order of the court. The
release shall be on a form prescribed by the Office of the Chief Court Administrator.
(c) Whenever an accused person is released upon the deposit by a person on behalf
of the accused person of a sum of money equal to the amount called for by such bond
or upon the pledge by a person on behalf of the accused person of real property, the
equity of which is equal to the amount called for by such bond, and such bond is ordered
forfeited because the accused person failed to appear in court as conditioned in such
bond, the court shall, at the time of ordering the bond forfeited: (1) Issue a rearrest
warrant or a capias directing a proper officer to take the accused person into custody,
(2) provide written notice to the person who offered cash bail or pledged real property
on behalf of the accused person that the accused person has failed to appear in court as
conditioned in such bond, and (3) order a stay of execution upon the forfeiture for six
months. When the accused person whose bond has been forfeited is returned to custody
pursuant to the rearrest warrant or a capias within six months of the date such bond was
ordered forfeited, the bond shall be automatically terminated and the person who offered
cash bail or pledged real property on behalf of the accused person shall be released from
such obligation and the court shall order new conditions of release for the accused person
in accordance with section 54-64a. When the accused person whose bond has been
forfeited returns to court voluntarily within five business days of the date such bond
was ordered forfeited, the court may, in its discretion, and after finding that the accused
person's failure to appear was not wilful, vacate the forfeiture order and reinstate the
bond. Such stay of execution shall not prevent the issuance of a rearrest warrant or a
capias.
(1949 Rev., S. 8781; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 152; P.A. 81-246; P.A. 93-265, S. 1; P.A. 99-240, S. 14; P.A. 01-186, S. 18.)
History: 1959 act deleted references to trial justices and included assistant court clerk; P.A. 81-246 permitted the accused
person to pledge real property in order to be admitted to bail; P.A. 93-265 added Subsec. (b) to provide that the pledge of
real property constitutes a lien on the property when a notice of lien is filed and to specify the procedure for the foreclosure
or release of such lien; P.A. 99-240 amended Subsec. (a) to add provisions requiring the clerk of the court to prepare a
report when cash bail in excess of $10,000 is received for a person accused of a felony involving the use, attempted use
or threatened use of physical force against another person, specifying the contents of such report and requiring said clerk
not later than 15 days after receipt of such cash bail to file such report with the Department of Revenue Services and mail
a copy of such report to the state's attorney and each person offering the cash bail; P.A. 01-186 added Subsec. (c) re
forfeiture of bond for failure to appear, issuance of rearrest warrant or capias, stay of execution upon forfeiture of bond
for six months from date bond ordered forfeited, automatic termination of bond if accused is returned to custody as result
of rearrest warrant or capias and reinstatement of bond if accused returns to court voluntarily within 5 business days of
order of forfeiture.
Cash bail remains in custody of court until order for return is made, even though accused has appeared and been
discharged; garnishment of such a fund. 96 C. 358. Cited. 119 C. 25.
Cited. 25 CA 643. This section and Sec. 54-65a do not expressly provide for, or preclude, granting of rebate to a
depositor of cash bail when defendant has been returned to the jurisdiction more than six months after the bond is called,
but it is within the power of Connecticut courts to ensure defendant's appearance and thus trial court's award of such a
rebate was proper. 68 CA 849.