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Simple English definitions for legal terms
excessive bail
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A quick definition of excessive bail:
Excessive bail is when a judge asks for too much money to be paid by someone who has been accused of a crime. This is not fair because it can be hard for the person to pay and it's not necessary to make sure they show up to court. The law says that bail should be a reasonable amount. However, some people may not be allowed to get bail if they are likely to run away or hurt others. The court has to decide if someone is safe to be let out on bail. The law also says that bail can't be used to punish someone more than they deserve. Sometimes, people have to wait a little while before they can get bail, but this is okay as long as it's not too long.A more thorough explanation:
Excessive bail is when a judge orders an accused defendant to pay a very high amount of money to be released from jail before their trial. This amount is much more than what is necessary to ensure that the defendant will show up in court. The Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution protects against excessive bail, which means that the amount of bail cannot be unreasonably high. However, there is no absolute right to bail.
For example, if someone is accused of a minor crime like shoplifting, but the judge orders them to pay $1 million in bail, that would be considered excessive bail. This is because the amount of bail is much higher than what is necessary to ensure that the defendant will show up in court.
Another example is if someone is accused of a violent crime like murder and the judge denies them bail because they are considered a danger to society. This is not considered excessive bail because the judge is following the rules set out in the Bail Reform Act.
Overall, excessive bail is when the amount of bail is much higher than what is necessary to ensure that the defendant will show up in court. The Eighth Amendment protects against excessive bail, but there is no absolute right to bail.