Bond Reform
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This bill changes South Carolina’s rules for setting bail. It requires that defendants charged with violent crimes, felonies involving firearms, or drug-related offenses be held on a full United States cash bond, rather than a smaller percentage of the bond amount. The bill also expands the factors courts can consider when determining release conditions, including observations by law enforcement officers about a person’s mental health and requiring emergency psychiatric evaluations or medical treatment upon release if concerns arise.
Key provisions
- Defendants charged with violent offenses, felony offenses involving firearms, or drug offenses must be held on a full United States cash bond.
- Courts can now consider law enforcement observations of a person’s mental condition when determining release conditions.
- The court can order a person to undergo an emergency psychiatric evaluation or seek medical treatment upon release if concerns about their mental health are raised.
- Cash bonds can be used to cover restitution to victims of crimes.
- Defendants can assign their cash bond to another party.
- The court can impose additional conditions of release as allowed by law.
- Law enforcement agencies must provide the court with relevant information, including criminal records and incident reports, before a bond hearing.
Who is affected
- Defendants facing criminal charges
Bill text
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