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Searching 2023-2024 Session

The Vermont Statutes Online

The Vermont Statutes Online have been updated to include the actions of the 2023 session of the General Assembly.

NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.

Title 13 : Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Chapter 229 : Bail and Recognizances

(Cite as: 13 V.S.A. § 7576)
  • § 7576. Definitions

    As used in this chapter:

    (1) “Appearance bond” means a written agreement that allows a person charged with a criminal offense to be released if the person pledges to pay the court a specified amount in the event the person fails to appear at a court proceeding.

    (2) “Bail” means any security, including cash, pledged to the court to ensure that a person charged with a criminal offense will appear at future court proceedings.

    (3) “Clinical assessment” means the procedures, to be conducted after a client has been screened, by which a licensed or otherwise approved counselor identifies and evaluates an individual’s strengths, weaknesses, problems, and needs for the development of a treatment plan.

    (4) “Needs screening” means a preliminary systematic procedure to evaluate the likelihood that an individual has a substance abuse or a mental health condition.

    (5) “Risk assessment” means a pretrial assessment that is designed to be predictive of a person’s failure to appear in court and risk of violating pretrial conditions of release with a new alleged offense.

    (6) “Secured appearance bond” means a written agreement which allows a person charged with a criminal offense to be released if:

    (A) the person pledges to pay the court a specified amount in the event that the person fails to appear at a court proceeding; and

    (B) a portion of the bond is paid to the court prior to release.

    (7) “Surety” means:

    (A) a person who agrees to be responsible for guaranteeing the appearance in court of a person charged with a criminal offense; or

    (B) a person who agrees to be responsible for guaranteeing that another person complies with the conditions of a peace bond under section 7573 of this title.

    (8) “Surety bond” means a written agreement, in a form established by the Court Administrator, under which a surety guarantees the appearance in court of a person charged with a criminal offense, and pledges to pay the court a specified amount if the person fails to appear.

    (9) “Flight from prosecution” means any action or behavior undertaken by a person charged with a criminal offense to avoid court proceedings. (Added 2001, No. 124 (Adj. Sess.), § 11, eff. June 5, 2002; amended 2015, No. 12, § 1, eff. May 1, 2015; 2017, No. 164 (Adj. Sess.), § 5.)