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Terms Used In Louisiana Children's Code 825

  • 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.
  • Child: means any person under the age of twenty-one, including an emancipated minor, who commits a delinquent act before attaining seventeen years of age. See Louisiana Children's Code 804
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.

If the court determines that some sort of security is required to insure the child‘s presence for the adjudication, it shall set bail and may require any of the following forms of security:

(1)  The child, parent, guardian, or legal custodian may have executed a bail bond in accordance with Article 314 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and deposit with the clerk the full amount of the bail secured by a deposit in cash or other authorized security, all of which shall be returnable upon satisfactory performance of the bail conditions.

(2)  The child, parent, guardian, or legal custodian may have executed a bail bond and may deposit with the court or its designee a sum of money equal to ten percent of the bail, but in no event shall such deposit be less than twenty-five dollars.  When the conditions of the bail bond have been discharged, the clerk shall return to the accused, unless the court orders otherwise, ninety percent of the sum which had been deposited and shall retain as bail bond costs ten percent of the amount deposited.  However, in no event shall the amount retained by the clerk as bail bond costs be less than five dollars.

(3)  The court may in the best interests of the child and his family agree to the deposit of other reasonable items of value or to the encumbrance of property as security to insure appearance for adjudication.  These items will be returned to the child or other obligor upon the child’s appearance for adjudication and the court’s notice to the clerk for return.

(4)  The child and his parents may sign a personal bail undertaking without the necessity of furnishing a surety, without depositing any special security, or without meeting any of the requirements for a personal surety as defined by Article 315 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Acts 1991, No. 235, §8, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1995, No. 1158, §1.