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<section article="gcp" article_name="Criminal Procedure" number="5-205" title_number="5" title_name="Release" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Pretrial Release">
  <level label="a">
    <text>A District Court judge may:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>set bond or bail;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>release a defendant on personal recognizance or on a personal or other bail bond;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>commit a defendant to a correctional facility in default of a bail bond;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>order a bail bond forfeited if the defendant fails to meet the conditions of the bond; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>exercise all of the powers of a justice of the peace under the Constitution of 1867.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, if an order setting “cash bail” or “cash bond” specifies that it may be posted by the defendant only, the “cash bail” or “cash bond” may be posted by the defendant, by an individual, or by a private surety, acting for the defendant, that holds a certificate of authority in the State.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Unless otherwise expressly ordered by the court or District Court commissioner, an order setting “cash bail” or “cash bond” for a failure to pay support under Title 10, Title 11, Title 12, or Title 13 of the Family Law Article may be posted by the defendant only.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>This subsection does not apply to a defendant who has been arrested for failure to appear in court or for contempt of court.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Notwithstanding any other law or rule to the contrary, in a criminal or traffic case in the District Court in which a bail bond has been set and if expressly authorized by the court or District Court commissioner, the defendant or a private surety acting for the defendant may post the bail bond by:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>executing it in the full penalty amount; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>depositing with the clerk of the court or a commissioner the greater of 10% of the penalty amount or $25.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A judicial officer may increase the percentage of cash surety required in a particular case but may not authorize a cash deposit of less than $25.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>On depositing the amount required under paragraph (2) of this subsection and executing the recognizance, the defendant shall be released from custody subject to the conditions of the bail bond.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>When all conditions of the bail bond have been performed without default and the defendant has been discharged from all obligations in the cause for which the recognizance was posted, the clerk of the court shall return the deposit to the person or private surety who deposited it.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>If the defendant fails to perform any condition of the bail bond, the bail bond shall be forfeited.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>If the bail bond is forfeited, the liability of the bail bond shall extend to the full amount of the bail bond set and the amount posted as a deposit shall be applied to reduce the liability incurred by the forfeiture.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
