New York statute
N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law § 520.30 — Bail and bail bonds; examination as to sufficiency
Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
Part of Article 520: Bail and Bail Bonds, New York Criminal Procedure Law.
Full text of N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law § 520.30
Statutory text current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17). This publication reproduces the text of the Consolidated Laws of New York as provided by the New York State Senate's Open Legislation service (Legislative Bill Drafting Commission statutory text); it is not the official statutes of the State of New York.
520.30 Bail and bail bonds; examination as to sufficiency.
1. Following the posting of a bail bond and the justifying affidavit
or affidavits or the posting of cash bail, the court may conduct an
inquiry for the purpose of determining the reliability of the obligors
or person posting cash bail, the value and sufficiency of any security
offered, and whether any feature of the undertaking contravenes public
policy; provided that before undertaking an inquiry, of a person posting
cash bail the court, after application of the district attorney, must
have had reasonable cause to believe that the person posting cash bail
is not in rightful possession of money posted as cash bail or that such
money constitutes the fruits of criminal or unlawful conduct. The court
may inquire into any matter stated or required to be stated in the
justifying affidavits, and may also inquire into other matters
appropriate to the determination, which include but are not limited to
the following:
(a) The background, character and reputation of any obligor, and, in
the case of an insurance company bail bond, the qualifications of the
surety-obligor and its executing agent; and
(b) The source of any money or property deposited by any obligor as
security, and whether any such money or property constitutes the fruits
of criminal or unlawful conduct; and
(c) The source of any money or property delivered or agreed to be
delivered to any obligor as indemnification on the bond, and whether any
such money or property constitutes the fruits of criminal or unlawful
conduct; and
(d) The background, character and reputation of any person who has
indemnified or agreed to indemnify an obligor upon the bond; and whether
any such indemnitor, not being licensed by the superintendent of
financial services in accordance with the insurance law, has within a
period of one month prior to such indemnity transaction given
indemnification or security for like purpose in more than two cases not
arising out of the same transaction; and
(e) The source of any money posted as cash bail, and whether any such
money constitutes the fruits of criminal or unlawful conduct;
(f) The background, character and reputation of the person posting
cash bail.
2. Upon such inquiry, the court may examine, under oath or otherwise,
the obligors and any other persons who may possess material information.
The district attorney has a right to attend such inquiry, to call
witnesses and to examine any witness in the proceeding. The court may,
upon application of the district attorney, adjourn the proceeding for a
reasonable period to allow him to investigate the matter.
3. At the conclusion of the inquiry, the court must issue an order
either approving or disapproving the bail.
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