FAQs

Pretrial

Q: Does a Pretrial Services Officer work for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, also known as the "government?"

Answer

No. Pretrial Services Officers work directly for the U.S. Courts, and more specifically for all judges in the Southern District of Ohio. Pretrial Services Officers are neutral, their role is not to prosecute or defend your case.

Q: I was sentenced and have been allowed to self-surrender to a federal institution. Am I still on supervision?

Answer

Yes, all individuals ordered released with Pretrial Services supervision remain under supervision until they begin a sentence of Probation or surrender to prison.

Q: I am on Pretrial supervision, and I was arrested or cited. What do I do now?

Answer

Notify your officer within one business day if you have been arrested, cited, or questioned by law enforcement for a law violation. This includes notification of any traffic citations.

Q: I am on drug testing and was just prescribed medication by my doctor. What should I do?

Answer

All prescriptions should be immediately reported to your supervision officer. You are required to bring in documentation to verify all prescriptions. Advise your supervising officer of any new prescriptions you may have and provide documentation.

Q: What are the types of bond may be set by the Court?

Answer

There are a variety of bond types ordered in the Federal Courts. They include:

Personal Recognizance Bond: Individual is released on his/her written promise to appear at all future court proceedings.
Unsecured Bond: Individual is released on his/her written promise to appear at all future court proceedings AND to pay the Court the full bond amount in the event he/she fails to appear.
Secured Bond: Individual release requires cash or collateral (property) be posted with the Court prior to release from custody.
Surety Bond: Individual release requires a bondsman, attorney, or similar party to post surety prior to release from custody. All sureties used must be on the Clerk of Courts listing of approved sureties.
Release with Conditions: In addition to the above-mentioned bonds, the Court may order pretrial supervision and reporting as a condition of release with bond. Conditions ordered may include: travel restrictions, location monitoring, substance abuse counseling and drug testing, and employment. Additionally, individuals may be ordered to not possess any firearm, destructive devices, or other dangerous weapons while on pretrial release.

Q: What is needed to post a property bond?

Answer

The property owner posting the bond must provide the following items to the Court:

Copy of the deed to the property;
The most recent paid real estate tax receipt;
Copy of the insurance policy; and
A statement of the balance due on the mortgage.

The property bond MUST be signed by all parties named on the deed. Anyone posting a property bond with the Court should check with the Clerk of Court for additional requirements.

Q: What happens if the bond is revoked?

Answer

Forfeiture of bond may occur if you fail to appear and bond is revoked. The Judge may issue a bench warrant and declare a revocation of the bail bond or appearance bond.

Q: What does it mean when someone is a third party custodian?

Answer

This is a condition of release that designates an individual usually a family member who agrees to assist with the supervision of the person on bond and report any violations of release conditions to the Court. The custodian must inform the Court if they believe the individual will fail to appear, or if the person's behavior becomes a danger to the community.

Q: What are the conditions of release?

Answer

In nearly all cases, the Court will order conditions of release as part of the bond requirements. Pretrial supervision is often ordered as a condition of release.

Other conditions may be ordered and could include one or all of the following:

Avoid all contact with any victims or potential witnesses
Surrender passport and obtain no new passport
Electronic monitoring or home confinement
Curfew
Substance abuse testing and/or treatment
Mental health evaluation and/or counseling
Seek and/or maintain employment or attend school
Other conditions as ordered by the Court

Q: What is home confinement?

Answer

Home Confinement is a bond condition which requires people to be confined to their homes and tracked in the community. The person is linked to a monitoring system through an ankle or wrist transmitter or a tracking device worn or carried 24 hours a day. With home confinement, the court determines the extent to which people are restricted case by case, requiring some individuals to remain on 24-hour-a-day lockdown at home and allowing others to leave for preapproved and scheduled absences, such as work, school, medical or mental health treatment, church, attorney appointments, court appearances, or other court ordered obligations.

The home monitoring unit is part of an electronic monitoring system designed to increase the effectiveness of supervising individuals who are required to abide by a curfew or stay home as part of pretrial release. The home monitoring unit monitors a client to determine whether he/she is at home.

Q: Who do I contact if I have an urgent issue and my officer is not available. What should I do?

Answer

Leave a voice mail message and your officer will return your call as soon as possible. If you cannot wait and need immediate assistance, call the main line and ask to speak with another officer.

United States Pretrial Services

Southern District of Ohio

Melanie A. Furry, Chief U.S. Pretrial Services Officer

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FAQs

Pretrial