Bill > SB2161

This bill modifies the procedures for handling bench warrants and capiases, which are court orders to arrest a defendant who has failed to appear in court. Specifically, it removes the requirement for courts to enter bench warrants or capiases into state or federal databases for defendants who fail to appear for certain less serious offenses, including violent or sexual misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. For felony failures to appear, the bill extends the timeframe for entering these warrants into databases from three to 10 business days. Additionally, it changes the rule regarding when a surety, typically a bail bondsman, can be relieved of liability for a defendant's undertaking (a promise to appear); instead of being automatically relieved if the defendant isn't listed in databases, the court now has the discretion to relieve the surety if the defendant has not been placed on these lists within five business days of the warrant being received by the issuing agency.