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bail

Defined in 7 dictionaries — Case Law, Ballentine's (1916), Black's (1910), Kinney (1893), Black's (1891), Burrill (1850), Bouvier (1839)

Definitions from Case Law

From 342 U.S. 1 - Stack v. Boyle · 1951Most cited · 2,376 citing opinions

The right to release before trial is conditioned upon the accused's giving adequate assurance that he will stand trial and submit to sentence if found guilty.

Show all 2 Supreme Court definitions and how they changed over time 1872–1951

Ballentine's Law Dictionary

James A. Ballentine · 1916

The sureties of one bound to appear at court; to become such surety; money or a bond given to secure such appearance. See 37 Tenn. 623.

Black's Law Dictionary

Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910

Fr.

In French and Canadian law. A lease of lands.

Bail h cheptel. A contract by which one of the parlies gives to the other cattle to keep, feed, and care for, the borrower receiving half the profit of increase, and bearing half the loss. Duverger.

Bail a ferme. A contract of letting lands.

Bail a longues annees. A lease for more than nine years; the same as bail emphyteotique (see infra) or an emphyteutic lease.

Bail & loyer. A contract of letting houses.

Bail h rente. A contract partaking of the nature of the contract of sale, and that of the contract of lease; it is translative of property, and the rent is essentially redeemable. Clark's Heirs v. Christ's Church, 4 La. 286; Poth. Bail a Rente, 1, 3.

Bail emphy-teotique. An emphyteutic lease; a lease for a term of years with a right to prolong indefinitely ; practically equivalent to an alienation.

A Law Dictionary and Glossary

George C. Kinney · 1893

baile, bailie, fr., Z. fr. Delivery; livery; keeping, or custody; delivery and custody, which two ideas are comprehended in the modern sense of the word. Bail de la seisinc: livery of seisin.

A Dictionary of Law

Henry Campbell Black · 1891

». To procure the release of a person from legal custody, by undertaking that he shall appear at the time and place designated and submit himself to the jurisdiction and judgment of the court. To set at liberty a-person arrested or imprisoned, on security being taken for his appearance on a day and a place certain, which securily is called “bail,” because the party arrested or imprisoned is delivered into the hands of those who bind themselves for his appearance when required,) in order that ha may be safely protected from prison. Wharton.

A New Law Dictionary and Glossary

Alexander M. Burrill · 1850

Baile, Bailie. L. Fr. [from bailler, to deliver.] Delivery of land; livery. Bail de la seisins; livery of seisin. Britt. c. 33. JN'ul bail ne nul seisins; no livery and no seisin. Id. c. 40. Delivery, in general. Le bail des escripts; the de Uvery of the writings. Id. c. 34. Keeping or custody, guardianship. En sa bailie; in his keeping. Id. c. 66. Bail, in the modem sense; as embracing the ideas both of delivery and of keeping. Cev4x: que sount lesses par bail a ascuns, h respondre pur euk, cots pur cors; those who are let by [to] bail to any, to answer for them, body for body. Id. c. 125. To BAIL. [L. Fr. bailler; L, Lat. balliare; from Gr. ^^IXeiy, to send, or deliver.] To deliver, commit or entrust a thing to another, {rem alteri tradere, vel committers) Spelman, voc. Balliare. The derivatives of this word, — bailment, bailor, bailee, — ^are in more frequent use than the verb itself.

In practice. To deliver a person from arrest, or out of custody, to the keeping of other persons, on their undertakinff to be responsible for his appearance at a day and place certain. Bract fol. 123. To discharge a person from arrest, on his finding sureties for his appearance at a certain time and place. A person bailed on civil process is very commonly said to be a ^ large, but in contemplation of law this is not strictly correct; he bemg always accounted to be m the custody oi his sureties, until surrendered by them, or finally discharged. See Bail

A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States

John Bouvier · 1839

practice, contracts. Bail is civil or criminal; these will be separately considered. 1. Civil bail is that which is entered in civil cases, and is common or special bail. Common bail is a formal entry of fictitious sureties in the proper office of the court, which is called filing common bail to the action. It is in the same form as special bail, but differs from it in this, that the sureties are merely fictitious, as, John Doe and Richard Roe: it has, consequently, none of the incidents of special bail. It is only allowed to the defendant when he has been discharged from arrest without bail, after the return day of the writ, and it is necessary in such case to perfect the appearance of the defendant. Steph. Pl. 56, 7; Grah. Pr. 155; Highm. on Bail, 13. Special bail is an undertaking by one or more persons for another, before some officer or court properly authorised for that purpose, that he shall 4ppcar at a certain time and place to answer a certain charge to be exhibited against him. ‘The person who encalled the bails The essential qualifications to enable a person to become bail, are that he must be, 1, a freeholder or housekeeper; 2, liable to the ordinary process of the court; 3, capable of entering into a contract; and 4, able to pay the amount for which he becomes responsible.— 1. He must be a freeholder or housekeeper, (q-. v-); 2 Chit. R. 96; 5 Taunt. 174; Lofft, 148; 3 Petersd. Ab. 104. 2. He must be subject to the ordinary process of the court, and a person privileged from arrest, either permanently or temporarily will not be taken, 4 Taunt. 249; 1 D. & R. 127; 2 Marsh. 232. 3. He must be competent to enter into a contract; a feme covert, an infant, or a person non compos mentis, cannot therefore become bail. 4. He must be able to pay the amount for which he becomes responsible. But it is immaterial whether his property consists of real or personal estate, provided it be his own, in his own right, 3 Petersd. Ab. 196; 2 Chit. Rep. 97; 11 Price, 158; and it be liable to the ordinary process of the law, 4 Burr. 2526; though this rule is not invariably adhered to, for when part of the property consisted of a ship, shortly expected, bail was permitted to justify in respect of such property. 1 Chit. R. 286, n. As to the persons who cannot be received because they are not responsible, sce 1 Chit. R. 9, 116; 2 Chit. R. TT, 8; Lofft, 72, 184; 3 Petersd. Ab. 112; 1 Chit. R. 309, n.—2. Bail in criminal cases is defined to be a delivery or bailment of a person to his suretics, upon their giving, together with himself, sufficient security for his appearance, he being supposed to be in their friendly custody, instead of going to prison. The constitution of the United States directs that ‘ excessive bail shall not be required.” congress of Scptember 24, 1789, s. 33, and March 2, 1793, s. 4, authority is given to ‘take bail tor any crime or offence against the United States, except where the punishment is death, to any justice or judge of the United States, or to any chancellor, judge of the supreme or superior court, or first judge of any court of common pleas, or mayor of any city of any state, or to any justice of the peace or other magistrate of any state, where the offender may be found; the recognizance taken by any of the. persons authorised, is to be returned to the court of the United States having cognizance of the offence. When the punishment by the laws of the United States is death, bail can be taken only by the supreme or circuit court, or by a judge of the supreme court, or a judge of the district court of the United States. If the person committed by a justice of the supreme court, or by a judge of the district court, for an offence not punishable with death, shall, after commitment procure bail; any judge of the supreme or superior court of law, of any state, (there being no judge of the United States in the district to take such bail,) may admit such person to bail. Justices of the peace have in general power to take bail of persons accused, and, when they have such authority, they are required to take such bail. There are many cases, however, under the laws of the several states, as well as under the laws of the United States, as above mentioned, when justices of the peace cannot take bail, but must commit, and, if the accused offers bail, it must be taken by a judge or other officer lawfully authorised. In Pennsylvania, for example, in cases of murder, or when the defendant is charged with stealing of any horse, taken having possession of such’ horse, mare or gelding, the justice of the peace cannot adinit the party to bail. 1 Smuith’s L. of Pa. 581. In all cases where the party is admitted to bail, the recognizance 18 to be returned to the court having jurisdiction of the oflence charged.