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S.B. 127 Enrolled

                 

BAIL BOND AMENDMENTS

                 
2001 GENERAL SESSION

                 
STATE OF UTAH

                 
Sponsor: Terry R. Spencer

                  This act modifies the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Insurance Code regarding bail
                  bond surety companies by providing procedures for actions against bail bond surety
                  companies for failure to pay bail bond forfeitures. This act also amends provisions
                  regarding the surety's and the prosecutor's functions if a defendant fails to appear,
                  procedures for exoneration of the bond, and procedures for transportation of the defendant.
                  This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
                  AMENDS:
                      77-20-8.5, as last amended by Chapters 1 and 259, Laws of Utah 2000
                      77-20b-101, as last amended by Chapter 259, Laws of Utah 2000
                      77-20b-104, as last amended by Chapter 259, Laws of Utah 2000
                  ENACTS:
                      31A-35-504, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                  Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
                      Section 1. Section 31A-35-504 is enacted to read:
                      31A-35-504. Failure to pay bail bond forfeiture - Grounds for suspension and
                  revocation of bail bond surety license.
                      (1) As used in this section:
                      (a) "Company" means a bail bond surety company.
                      (b) "Judgment" means a judgment of bond forfeiture issued under Section 77-20b-104 .
                      (2) (a) A company shall pay a judgment not later than 15 days following service of notice
                  upon the company from a prosecutor of the entry of the judgment.
                      (b) A prosecutor who does not receive proof of or notice of payment of the judgment
                  within 15 days after the service of notice to the company of a judgment shall notify the
                  commissioner of the failure to pay the judgment.
                      (c) If notice of entry of judgment is served upon the company by mail, three additional


                  days are added to the 15 days provided in Subsections (2)(a) and (2)(b).
                      (d) A prosecutor shall not proceed under Subsection (2)(b) if a company provides notice of
                  a motion to set aside judgment or notice of an application for an extraordinary writ prior to the end
                  of the payment period.
                      (3) (a) The commissioner shall suspend the license of the company not later than five days
                  following receipt of notice from a prosecutor of the company's failure to pay the judgment.
                      (b) The suspension shall be for 60 days and shall be in accordance with Section 31A-35-502 .
                      (4) (a) If the prosecutor receives proof of or notice of payment of the judgment during the
                  suspension period under Subsection (3), the prosecutor shall immediately notify the commissioner
                  of the payment. The notice shall be in writing and by the most expeditious means possible, which
                  may be via facsimile or any other electronic means, followed by the prosecutor's mailing of the
                  original written notification to the commissioner.
                      (b) The commissioner shall vacate any suspension of the company's license due solely to the
                  failure to pay a judgment, which is then paid under Subsection (4)(a), not later than five days after
                  the commissioner receives the original written notification from the prosecutor, regardless of
                  whether the prosecutor also sent the notification via facsimile or other electronic means. However,
                  any suspension under this Subsection (4) may not be for fewer than 14 days.
                      (c) The commissioner may not vacate any suspension under this section for fewer than 14
                  days after receiving notification under Subsection (2) of failure to pay a judgment, even if the
                  suspension for 14 days causes the total suspension of a company's license to extend beyond 60 days
                  because the company had failed to pay a prior judgment and the commissioner had suspended the
                  company's license based on that prior failure to pay.
                      (5) The commissioner may not vacate a suspension under Subsection (3) if at the time the
                  commissioner receives notification under Subsection (4)(a) of payment of a judgment:
                      (a) at least one other unpaid judgment against the company exists;
                      (b) the commissioner has received notice under Subsection (2) of the company's failure to
                  pay that judgment; and
                      (c) the commissioner has not received notice under Subsection (4)(a) of the company's

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                  payment of that outstanding judgment.
                      (6) The commissioner shall commence an administrative proceeding to revoke the license
                  of a company that fails to pay a judgment of bond forfeiture before the expiration date of the
                  suspension period.
                      (7) This section does not restrict or otherwise affect the rights of a prosecutor to commence
                  collection proceedings under Subsection 77-20b-104 (5).
                      Section 2. Section 77-20-8.5 is amended to read:
                       77-20-8.5. Sureties -- Surrender of defendant -- Arrest of defendant.
                      (1) (a) Sureties may at any time prior to a [forfeiture of their bail] defendant's failure to
                  appear surrender the defendant and obtain exoneration of bail, by notifying the clerk of the court in
                  which the bail was posted of the defendant's surrender and requesting exoneration. Notification
                  [will] shall be [done] made immediately following the surrender by surface mail, electronic mail,
                  or fax.
                      (b) To effect surrender, a certified copy of the surety's undertaking from the court in which
                  it was posted[,] or[,] a copy of the bail agreement with the defendant shall be delivered to the on-duty
                  jailer, who [will] shall detain the defendant in the on-duty jailer's custody as upon a commitment,
                  and shall in writing acknowledge the surrender upon the copy of the undertaking or bail agreement.
                  The certified copy of the undertaking or copy of the bail agreement upon which the acknowledgment
                  of surrender is endorsed shall be filed with the court. The court may then, upon proper application,
                  order the undertaking exonerated and may order a refund of any paid premium, or part of a premium,
                  as it finds just.
                      (2) For the purpose of surrendering the defendant, the sureties may:
                      (a) arrest the defendant:
                      (i) at any time before the defendant is finally exonerated; and
                      (ii) at any place within the state; and
                      (b) surrender the defendant to any [correctional facility] county jail booking facility in Utah.
                      (3) An arrest under this section is not a basis for exoneration of the bond under Section
                  77-20b-101 .

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                      [(3)] (4) A surety acting under this section is subject to Title 53, Chapter 11, Bail Bond
                  Recovery Act.
                      Section 3. Section 77-20b-101 is amended to read:
                       77-20b-101. Entry of nonappearance -- Notice to surety -- Release of surety on failure
                  of timely notice.
                      (1) If a defendant who has posted bail fails to appear before the appropriate court when
                  required and the court issues a bench warrant or directs that the surety be given notice of the
                  nonappearance, the clerk of the court shall:
                      (a) mail notice of nonappearance by certified mail, return receipt requested, within 30 days
                  to the address of the surety who posted the bond; [and]
                      (b) notify the surety of the name, address, telephone number, and fax number of the
                  prosecutor;
                      [(b)] (c) deliver a copy of the notice sent under Subsection (1)(a) to the prosecutor's office
                  at the same time notice is sent under Subsection (1)(a)[.]; and
                      (d) ensure that the name, address, and telephone number of the surety is stated on the bench
                  warrant.
                      (2) [If notice is not provided in accordance with Subsection (1)(a), the] The prosecutor may
                  mail notice of nonappearance by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the address of the surety
                  within [seven] 37 days after the [end of the 30-day period under Subsection (1)(a)] date of the
                  defendant's failure to appear.
                      (3) If notice of nonappearance is not mailed to a surety, other than the defendant, in
                  accordance with Subsection (1) or (2), the surety is relieved of further obligation under the bond if
                  the surety's current name and address are on the bail bond in the court's file.
                      (4) (a) A bond ordered forfeited by the court may not be reinstated without the mutual
                  agreement of the surety and the court.
                      (b) If the defendant is arrested and booked into a county jail booking facility pursuant to a
                  warrant for failure to appear on the original charges [and then released for any reason, the original
                  bond shall be exonerated.], the surety may file a motion with the court to exonerate the bond. The

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                  surety shall deliver a copy of the motion to the prosecutor.
                      (c) Unless the court makes a finding of good cause why the bond should not be exonerated,
                  it shall exonerate the bond if:
                      (i) the surety has delivered the defendant to the county jail booking facility in the county
                  where the original charge is pending;
                      (ii) the defendant has been released on a bond secured from a subsequent surety for the
                  original charge and the failure to appear;
                      (iii) after an arrest, the defendant has escaped from jail or has been released on the
                  defendant's own recognizance, pursuant to a pretrial release, under a court order regulating jail
                  capacity, or by a sheriff's release under Section 17-22-5.5 ; or
                      (iv) the surety has transported or agreed to pay for the transportation of the defendant from
                  a location outside of the county back to the county where the original charge is pending, and the
                  payment is in an amount equal to government transportation expenses listed in Section 76-3-201 .
                      (d) Under circumstances not otherwise provided for in this section, the court may exonerate
                  the bond if it finds that the prosecutor has been given reasonable notice of a surety's motion and there
                  is good cause for the bond to be exonerated.
                      (e) If a surety's bond has been exonerated under this section and the surety remains liable for
                  the cost of transportation of the defendant, the surety may take custody of the defendant for the
                  purpose of transporting the defendant to the jurisdiction where the charge is pending.
                      Section 4. Section 77-20b-104 is amended to read:
                       77-20b-104. Forfeiture of bail.
                      (1) If a surety fails to bring the defendant before the court within the time provided in
                  Section 77-20b-102 , the prosecuting attorney may request the forfeiture of the bail by:
                      (a) filing a motion for bail forfeiture with the court, supported by proof of notice to the                   surety
                  of the defendant's nonappearance; and
                      (b) mailing a copy of the motion to the surety.
                      (2) A court shall enter judgment of bail forfeiture without further notice if it finds by a
                  preponderance of the evidence:

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                      (a) the defendant failed to appear as required;
                      (b) the surety was given notice of the defendant's nonappearance in accordance with Section
                  77-20b-101 ;
                      (c) the surety failed to bring the defendant to the court within the six-month period under
                  Section 77-20b-102 ; and
                      (d) the prosecutor has complied with the notice requirements under Subsection (1).
                      (3) If the surety shows by a preponderance of the evidence that it has failed to bring the
                  defendant before the court because the defendant is deceased through no act of the surety, the court
                  may not enter judgment of bail forfeiture.
                      (4) The amount of bail forfeited is the face amount of the bail bond, but if the defendant is
                  in the custody of another jurisdiction and the state extradites or intends to extradite the defendant,
                  the court may reduce the amount forfeited to the actual or estimated costs of returning the defendant
                  to the court's jurisdiction. A judgment under this Subsection (4) shall:
                      (a) identify the surety against whom judgment is granted;
                      (b) specify the amount of bail forfeited;
                      (c) grant the [forfeited bail to the prosecuting entity] forfeiture of the bail; and
                      (d) be docketed by the clerk of the court in the civil judgment docket.
                      (5) A prosecutor may immediately commence collection proceedings to execute a judgment
                  of bond forfeiture against the assets of the surety.

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