Bail Hearings: How a Surety Can Help Secure the Accused’s Release
When you or a loved one has been arrested and charged with a criminal offence, your first contact with the court system will likely be at a bail hearing. Section 515 of the Criminal Code provides for judicial interim release without conditions unless the prosecutor shows good cause that the accused should remain in custody or that certain conditions should be imposed to ensure the community’s safety and to ensure the accused’s appearance in court. Often the court will release the accused but will require a surety to ensure that the conditions of bail are met and that the accused appears in court.
What is a surety?
A surety is a person who appears and promises to the court that they will monitor the accused, ensure that they comply with their bail conditions, and ensure that they appear in court. The surety is often required to agree to forfeit money if the accused does not appear in court. The surety may be required to deposit a sum of money that will be forfeited if the accused does not comply with bail conditions, or the court may simply require a promise to pay in some cases.
What does a surety need to know?
The surety needs to understand their responsibilities, including what the bail conditions are and when the accused is to appear in court. Bail conditions may include refraining from committing further offences, remaining in the province where the offence allegedly occurred, not possessing firearms or weapons, no contact with witnesses or the complaining witness, or staying away from certain areas or addresses.
Most importantly, the surety needs to be someone who is close to the accused and who can demonstrate to the court that they are a responsible person who can influence the accused’s behavior. The surety should be prepared to explain to the court how they know the accused, where the accused will be living, and how they intend to ensure the accused’s compliance with bail conditions. For example, a parent who lives with the accused may be an acceptable surety in the court’s eyes, but a girlfriend who lives in the next province may not.
Julian van der Walle is an experienced Penticton BC criminal defence lawyer who focuses on the defence of all criminal charges and has conducted hundreds of bail hearings. Getting bail is one of the most important first steps to successfully defending a charge. Make sure you retain experienced and able counsel as soon as possible after you get arrested so that you maximize your chances of getting bail and ultimately getting acquitted.
If your loved one has been arrested and charged with an offence, contact Julian van der Walle immediately to see how he can help to secure your loved one’s release.
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