What bond means
Bond, or bail, is the security that lets a person leave custody while their case is pending, on the promise they will come back to court. It is not a fine or a punishment, and it is not the same as being found guilty.
The point is to make sure the person returns; if they come to every court date, the bond obligation ends when the case does.
Who sets the bond
Right after the arrest, the police set an initial bond based on the charge and a bond schedule, or release the person on a written promise to appear with no money at all. If the person cannot post the police bond, they are held until the arraignment on the next business day, where a judge reviews the amount.
The judge can raise it, lower it, keep it, or release the person on a promise to appear, weighing the seriousness of the charge, ties to the community, any record of missing court, and whether the person is a danger to someone. A defense attorney can argue for a lower bond at this hearing.
The arraignment page explains that first court date in full.
The bail commissioner
Before a judge is involved, a bail commissioner may set or recommend the bond. Bail commissioners are officials of the Judicial Branch's Court Support Services Division.
Shortly after an arrest they can interview the arrested person, gather background such as employment and community ties, assess the risk of not appearing, and set or recommend a bond and release conditions, especially for lower-level offenses. This often happens within hours of the arrest, before the arraignment, and the commissioner's recommendation carries weight with the judge.
The types of bond
There are a few ways release can happen. A written promise to appear, sometimes called released on your own recognizance, means no money is posted at all. A non-surety bond means a dollar amount is set but nothing is paid unless the person misses court. A cash or surety bond means the amount must actually be secured before release.
For a surety bond, you either post the full amount with the court, which is returned at the end of the case if the person made every appearance, or you use a bail bondsman.
How a bail bondsman works
A bail bondsman posts the bond for you in exchange for a fee. That fee is a percentage of the bond amount, set at the rate approved by the Connecticut Insurance Commissioner, and it is not refundable, even if the case is dismissed the next day, because it is the price of the bondsman fronting the full amount. Connecticut has reduced the allowable rate on smaller bonds in recent years, so ask the bondsman for the current rate and get it in writing before you agree.
The bondsman may also require collateral for a large bond. A bail bondsman in Connecticut must be licensed and is regulated by the Connecticut Insurance Department.
ChargedCT does not recommend or work with any bondsman.
What to do the night of an arrest
If someone you know has been arrested and is being held, the fastest information comes from the police department that made the arrest; they can tell you the bond amount and whether the person can be released before court. If the bond is set and you can cover it, you can post it at the police station or the court. If you cannot, the person waits for the arraignment on the next business day, where a judge may lower it.
Talking to a defense attorney early helps, because the attorney can be ready to argue for a lower bond at that first appearance. Do not discuss the facts of the case on a recorded jail phone line; those calls are routinely used by prosecutors.
The arrest page covers what happens between the arrest and release, and the what to expect page covers the shape of the whole case. Which court the case goes to depends on the town of arrest, listed on the court pages, and the charge shapes what comes next: DUI, domestic violence and family violence, assault, drug possession, and larceny and shoplifting.