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9.3: Pretrial Release Options

  • Page ID
    48413
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    Pretrial Release Options

    Since the pretrial and trial steps they take up to a year, and the individual being charged is presumed innocent until proven guilty in the eyes of the law, the question of what to do with the defendant in terms of keep them in the custody of the government or allow them to be released may come up numerous times.

     (ROR)

    One option is known as Release On Recognizance (ROR). This option is similar to when someone receives a traffic citation. The person receiving the ticket is told to either pay the ticket or show up in court on a certain date. The person then gets their word of honor and signs the form. In essence, the system is trusting the citizens to follow through on their obligations. When the charges are minor or the person is a trusted individual in the community often they will be released on their word of honor that they will return to the court when called upon to do so.

    Third-Party Custody Release

    Another option is to release the individual into the custody of another such as the defendant employer or attorney or family member. This third-party is then responsible to oversee the behavior of the defendant and to ensure that the defendant returns to the court when called upon to do so.

    Conditional Release

    Another option is to release the individual based on certain conditions. A typical condition is the payment of a certain amount of bail money. If the defendant posts the required amount of money they will be released. If the defendant cooperates and returns to the court when called upon to do so the bail money will be returned to them at the conclusion of the trial. If the defendant fails to cooperate or return to the court they will forfeit all right to the money that they posted and a warrant will be issued for their arrest.

    Supervised Release

    In this context supervised release refers to the defendant being released into the community but at the same time being supervised by members of the criminal justice system. For instance, someone may be released but then told they must stay at home at all times other than for work or court or health appointments. This particular option is often referred to as house arrest. Another option is that the individual may be supervised by a probation officer, particularly if they were already on probation, and need to meet with them regularly until the conclusion of the court proceedings.


    This page titled 9.3: Pretrial Release Options is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Dr. Wendelin M. Hume & Sherina M. Hume.

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