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Section 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

May 11, 2021 | Connecticut, Criminal Procedure

(a)

(1) In any criminal case in which a bond is allowable or required and the amount of such bond has been determined, the accused person, or any person on the accused person’s behalf, (A) may deposit, with the clerk of the court having jurisdiction of the offense with which the accused person 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 (B) 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 real property, and such accused person shall thereupon be admitted to bail.
(2) 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, except that 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.
(3) 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 real 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 real 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.
(b)

(1) 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:

(A) Issue a rearrest warrant or a capias directing a proper officer to take the accused person into custody,
(B) 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
(C) order a stay of execution upon the forfeiture for six months. The court may, in its discretion and for good cause shown, extend such stay of execution. A stay of execution shall not prevent the issuance of a rearrest warrant or a capias.
(2) 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 or, if a stay of execution was extended, within the time period inclusive of such extension 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.
(3) 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.

Conn. Gen. Stat. ยง 54-66

(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; P.A. 14-184, S. 3.)

Amended by P.A. 14-0184, S. 3 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2014 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2014.

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 6 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 Conn.App. 849.