Which statement describes the condition for forfeit of cash bond without bond forfeiture proceedings?

Which statement describes the condition for forfeit of cash bond without bond forfeiture proceedings?

• A. When a defendant has entered a written and signed conditional plea of nolo contendere and waives a jury trial, and fails to appear as released.
• B. When the defendant pleads guilty to all charges.
• C. When the defendant is acquitted.
• D. When the defendant files an appeal.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that cash bonds can be forfeited automatically when the defendant’s release conditions are not met, without a separate forfeiture hearing. If the defendant has signed and entered a conditional plea of nolo contendere and has waived a jury trial, then failing to appear as released directly triggers the cash bond to be forfeited by operation of law. This happens because the plea and waiver bind the defendant to certain terms and appearances, so nonappearance breaches those terms immediately, removing the need for a separate forfeiture proceeding. Other scenarios—pleading guilty to all charges, being acquitted, or filing an appeal—do not automatically result in immediate cash-bond forfeiture without additional proceedings or conditions, so they’re not the correct description of this specific condition.

The key idea is that cash bonds can be forfeited automatically when the defendant’s release conditions are not met, without a separate forfeiture hearing. If the defendant has signed and entered a conditional plea of nolo contendere and has waived a jury trial, then failing to appear as released directly triggers the cash bond to be forfeited by operation of law. This happens because the plea and waiver bind the defendant to certain terms and appearances, so nonappearance breaches those terms immediately, removing the need for a separate forfeiture proceeding. Other scenarios—pleading guilty to all charges, being acquitted, or filing an appeal—do not automatically result in immediate cash-bond forfeiture without additional proceedings or conditions, so they’re not the correct description of this specific condition.