The term “bail” is commonly used to describe a cash amount that has been set by a judge, to make sure that a person charged with a crime, called a “defendant,” will
come back to court. This amount must be paid before a person will be released from jail. Generally, the defendant will be given the option of either paying cash, or paying a
bail bondsman to put up the funds, called a “bond.” More on this below.
Testimony at Committee on Criminal Justice Hearing
Thank you, Chair Sandy Nurse, for holding today’s Committee on Criminal Justice. My name is Yonah Zeitz and I am the New York Advocacy Director at
Yonah
April 16, 2025
