Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 804-5

  • 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.

In cases where the punishment for the offense charged may be imprisonment for life not subject to parole, or imprisonment for a term more than ten years with or without fine, a judge or justice of a court of record, including a district judge, shall be competent to admit the accused to bail, in conformity with §§ 804-3 to 804-6. In all other cases, the accused may be so admitted to bail by any judge or justice of a court of record, including a district judge, and in cases, except under section 712-1207, where the punishment for the offense charged may not exceed two years’ imprisonment with or without fine, the sheriff, the sheriff’s deputy, the chief of police or any person named by the chief of police, or the sheriff of Kalawao, regardless of the circuit within which the alleged offense was committed, may admit the accused person to bail. The court shall impose conditions of release or bail that are the least restrictive conditions required to ensure the accused’s appearance and to protect the public.