The Attorney’ General of Texas
October 22, 1985
JIM MATTOX
Altorney General
supr0m9 c4m 8ullelw Eouorablc 8. Tati !Lturtieeteban ~piaion AO. Jx-363
P. 0. BOX 12540 chnirmnn
Aualln, TX 79711-2546 Natural Rc~ourcc~ Ctmdttec Re: Authority of A judge to
5rZN7+2501 Texas StAtA SeaAts restrict the type of ball
T*Ior 91w57L1357
P. 0. Box 12068, C.al@tol Station available to s defendant
l*lecoplw 512l47M295
Austin, Texas 78’l:ll
Dear Senator Saatimteban:
You have recpesttd our opinion regarding the authority of A
magistrate to restrict the type of bail available to AIL accused.
4524 Alber(a me., swe lb0 Artlclc 17.01 of the Code of Criminnl Procedure define6 “ball” AS
El Paso. TX. 7-2793
915i53&348( the secu~clty given by the accused that he till
appear md ausver before the proper court the
1001TOXEE.sutte 700 sccusatj,ao brought against bin. md Includes a
Nou¶lon. lx. T7w2-3111 ball bor,d, or a personal bond. (Papbaeis added).
7lY223YU16
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
a06 aroadw*y. SUIIO312
under the statute, A “ball bond” or a “persoual boud.” These two
Lubbock. TX. 794013(79
Ka747a236 kinds of bail ‘51 not appear to be exclusive aud. gloen the
magistrate’s broa’i discretlou in fixing ball, other forms of security
may be autbo&ed, See
- V.T.C.S. Art. 1715.
4309 N. Tmlh. Sub B
YcAlm. TX 76501-1685
512m245.47 One form of “6ecurlty” specifically authortied 16 the ball bond
demribed in nrtic:lc 17.02:
2w Makl Plur. sutte 4m A ‘bail bond’ 16 a vritten undertaking eutered
San Antonlo. TX. 762052797
Fnto b!r the defendant and his suretIc for tbc
512a25-4191
sppearance of the prlnclpsl therein before sow
court (81 magistrate 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 eignlng the tame. . . . (EMPHASIS
iddcd),-
Another form of “security” specifically 6uthorlred is the personal
bond deecribad III article 17.03:
.. I
\.
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 CA6h only?
2. May the court Bet the amount of boil but
Agree to nccept A caeh percentage in lieu of that
AWUUt?
3. iay the tour t 6Ct A differential boll
Amount depending upon the type of bond. &. A
cash bond of $1,000 or A surety 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
lrtlcle 17.02.” 583 S.W.2d At 793. We conclude that A mAgi6trnte may
not require la AccuAed to post il bail bond in CASb only.
As to your second questl.oa, boil 16 by 6tAtUt6 the 6ecurlty
required by A magistrate And May Include A boil bond or A persoaal
bead. We constnse your question to inquire whether A court 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 A magi6trate May require in conjunction
vith the issu~ace of A per6onr.l bond under eectioa 17.03.
Fia~lly, we believe it jr Cl-r that A osgistrrte msy not 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
p. 1666
Roaornble H. Tot1Snatie6tcb4~mi - PAge 3 (JH-363
6Ati6fied by CA6h. We emphcdse, 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 1~11ACCU6ed 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.
J f%
Very truly you
&
J In tlATTOX
Attorney General of Texas
TOM GREW
Pirst Assistant Attorney Gawral
DAVID R. RIGRAFDS
Executive Assistant Attorney Gencrsl
ROBERT GRAY
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
Jim noellinger
Jenalfcr Riggs
SArAh Woelk
p. 1667