Rhode Island General Laws 10-9-31. Power of justices to admit to bail
Whenever any person is committed to a correctional institution on any criminal accusation for want of bail, any justice of the supreme or superior court, or any person specially appointed by either of the courts, may admit him or her to bail in like manner as might have been done by the court or magistrate who committed him or her, and the supreme or superior court justices respectively shall have power to issue a writ of habeas corpus and to cause the prisoner to be brought before them, whenever it shall be necessary for the purpose expressed in this section.
History of Section.
C.P.A. 1905, § 681; G.L. 1909, ch. 305, § 30; G.L. 1923, ch. 356, § 30; G.L. 1938, ch. 584, § 30; impl. am. P.L. 1956, ch. 3721, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 10-9-31.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 10-9-31
- Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
- Habeas corpus: A writ that is usually used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine the legality of his imprisonment. It may also be used to bring a person in custody before the court to give testimony, or to be prosecuted.
- magistrate: may be construed to mean a justice, or a clerk acting as a justice, of a district court. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
- person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
- Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.