House Bill No. introduced by A. Regier seeks to revise the criteria under which a judge may admit a defendant to bail. The bill specifically limits a judge's ability to grant bail to defendants who are subject to a warrant from another jurisdiction. The amended language in Section 46-9-201 of the Montana Code Annotated states that a judge may admit a defendant to bail unless the defendant is on a warrant from another jurisdiction. This change aims to clarify the conditions under which bail can be granted and to ensure that defendants with outstanding warrants from other jurisdictions are not eligible for bail.

Additionally, the bill maintains that when a defendant is bound over to a court or judge with jurisdiction over the offense, bail must be continued unless the defendant is on a warrant from another jurisdiction. The bill also specifies that a judge may admit a defendant to bail during an appeal, and it clarifies that a defendant's appearance before a judge can occur either in person or through two-way electronic audio-video communication. Overall, the bill seeks to tighten the regulations surrounding bail admissions, particularly for defendants with warrants from other jurisdictions.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 46-9-201
HB0415_1(1): 46-9-201
HB0415_1(2): 46-9-201
HB0415_1(3): 46-9-201
HB0415_1: 46-9-201