Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure 315 – Schedules of bail
Terms Used In Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure 315
- 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.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
A. Unless the bail is fixed by a schedule in accordance with this Article, the amount of bail shall be specifically fixed in each case. In noncapital felony cases, a bail schedule according to the offense charged may be fixed by a district court. In misdemeanor cases, a bail schedule according to the offense charged may be fixed by a district, parish or city court for offenses committed within its trial jurisdiction. When more than one court has trial jurisdiction, the applicable bail schedule shall be that of the court in which the case is to be tried.
B. The court order setting the bail schedule shall fix the amount of bail for each offense listed, designate the officer or officers authorized to accept the bail, and order that bail be taken in conformity with the schedule. It may also contain a general provision designating the amount of bail for any noncapital felony and misdemeanor not listed in the schedule. A copy of the schedule shall be sent to all jails, sheriff’s offices, and police stations within the judicial district, parish, or city. A bail schedule may be revised or rescinded at any time. The type or form of bail shall not be sent in a bail schedule.
C. A person charged with the commission of an offense for which bail is fixed by a schedule may give bail according to the schedule or demand a special order fixing bail. The bail amount fixed by schedule may be modified by the court in accordance with Article 319.
Acts 1993, No. 834, §1, eff. June 22, 1993; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 52, §1, eff. Sept. 1, 1994; Acts 2010, No. 914, §1; Acts 2016, No. 613, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2017.