Criminal Justice Standards
Pretrial Release
Copyright by the American Bar Association. This work (Criminal Justice Standards) may be used for non-profit educational and training purposes and legal reform (legislative, judicial, and executive) without written permission but with a citation to this source.
In February 2002, the ABA House of Delegates approved "black letter" standards that appear with commentary in a publication entitled: ABA Standards for Criminal Justice: Pretrial Release, 3d ed. © 2007. For the text of the publication, click HERE . This Standards can also be purchased in a book format. To go directly to individual "black letter" standards (without commentary), click on the applicable link in the Table of Contents, below.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
[Use the navigation bar on the left side to go to a specific Part.]
PART I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES
Standard 10-1.1 Purposes of the pretrial release decision
Standard 10-1.2 Release under least restrictive conditions; diversion and other alternative release options
Standard 10-1.3 Use of citations and summonses
Standard 10-1.4 Conditions of release
Standard 10-1.5 Pretrial release decision may include diversion and other adjudication alternatives supported by treatment programs
Standard 10-1.6 Detention as an exception to policy favoring release
Standard 10-1.7 Consideration of the nature of the charge in determining release options
Standard 10-1.8 Pretrial release decision should not be influenced by publicity or public opinion
Standard 10-1.9 Implication of policy favoring release for supervision in the community
Standard 10-1.10 The role of the pretrial services agency
PART II. RELEASE BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ACTING WITHOUT AN ARREST WARRANT
Standard 10-2.1 Policy favoring issuance of citations
Standard 10-2.2 Mandatory issuance of citation for minor offenses
Standard 10-2.3 Permissive authority to issue citations in all cases
Standard 10-2.4 Lawful searches
PART III. ISSUANCE OF SUMMONS IN LIEU OF ARREST
Standard 10-3.1 Authority to issue summons
Standard 10-3.2 Mandatory issuance of summons
Standard 10-3.3 Application for an arrest warrant or summons
PART IV. RELEASE BY JUDICIAL OFFICER AT FIRST APPEARANCE OR ARRAIGNMENT
Standard 10-4.1 Prompt first appearance
Standard 10-4.2 Investigation prior to first appearance: development of background information to support release or detention determination
Standard 10-4.3 Nature of first appearance
PART V. THE RELEASE AND DETENTION DECISIONS
Standard 10-5.1 Release on defendant's own recognizance
Standard 10-5.2 Conditions on release
Standard 10-5.3 Release on financial conditions
Standard 10-5.4 Release order provisions
Standard 10-5.5 Willful failure to appear or to comply with conditions
Standard 10-5.6 Sanctions for violations of conditions of release, including revocation of release
Standard 10-5.7 Bases for temporary pretrial detention for defendants on release
Standard 10-5.8 Grounds for pretrial detention
Standard 10-5.9 Eligibility for pretrial detention and initiation of the detention hearing
Standard 10-5.10 Procedures governing pretrial detention hearings: judicial orders for detention and appellate review
Standard 10-5.11 Requirement for accelerated trial for detained defendants
Standard 10-5.12 Re-examination of the release or detention decision: status reports regarding pretrial detention
Standard 10-5.13 Trial
Standard 10-5.14 Credit for pre-adjudication detention
Standard 10-5.15 Temporary release of a detained defendant for compelling necessity
Standard 10-5.16 Circumstances of confinement of defendants detained pending adjudication
PART VI. NOTICE TO VICTIMS OF CRIME
Standard 10-6.1 Judicial assurance of notice to victims