The Florida Senate

¹903.105  Appearance bonds.--Any criminal defendant who is required to meet monetary bail or bail with any monetary component may satisfy such bail by providing a surety bond as otherwise provided by law or by providing an appearance bond as follows:

(1)  Any defendant posting an appearance bond shall apply therefor in writing. Each defendant charged with a felony of the second degree or higher, and each defendant appearing before a court in connection with bail, shall sign the application upon oath in open court.

(2)  After the application is completed and the quantity and other conditions of the bond are determined as required by law, the defendant may deposit with the clerk of the court before which the action is pending or with the sheriff, if designated by the clerk, a sum of money equal to 10 percent of the bond and any additional collateral for all or part of the remaining portion of the bond as the court may require.

(3)  Upon depositing such sum and additional collateral and agreeing in writing to all nonmonetary conditions of the bond which the court may require, the defendant shall be released from custody subject to all conditions of release imposed by the court.

(4)(a)  If the conditions of release have been performed and the defendant has been discharged from all obligations in the action, the clerk of the court shall return to the defendant, unless the court orders otherwise, 75 percent of the 10-percent sum deposited, plus any additional required collateral, and shall retain as bail costs 25 percent of the 10-percent sum deposited. At the request of the defendant, the court may order the amount repayable to the defendant from such deposit to be paid to the defendant's attorney of record.

(b)  Moneys retained by the clerk under this provision shall be disbursed as directed by the county commission for law enforcement, criminal justice, and criminal court operations relating to pretrial release, including, but not limited to, screening, supervision, and apprehension, subject to the following conditions:

1.  The clerk must receive a sum equal to actual, demonstrable increased costs, if any, attributable to the implementation of this section.

2.  Moneys distributed to the sheriff must be used for increased expenditures in connection with the apprehension of defendants who fail to appear as required.

(5)  If a final judgment for a fine and court costs, or either a fine or court costs, is entered in an action in which a deposit has been made in accordance with this section, the balance of such deposit, after deduction of bail costs as provided for herein, shall be applied to the satisfaction of the judgment.

(6)  In the event that this section becomes effective, the Supreme Court shall promulgate rules as necessary to implement this section.

History.--s. 47, ch. 82-175.

¹Note.--Pursuant to s. 73, ch. 82-175, effective "if and only if chapter 648 . . . is . . . repealed, in which event [this] section shall take effect upon the effective date of such repeal."