Court Opinions

NEW:  We requested DOI obtain a legal opinion from the Attorney General regarding surrender without return of premium for violating an order of the court.  Here is their response:

Legal Advisory on the provisions of NCGS 58-71-20 - Surrender without return of premium.

Scenario:  A defendant has been bonded out by a bail bondsman on two bonds.  If the defendant fails to appear for the first bond and is surrendered by the bondsman after this breach in the undertaking of the bond, can the bail bondsman also surrender the defendant on the second bond before there has been a breach in the undertaking of the second bond and retain the bail bond premium?

In the above scenario, the bail bondsman would be able to surrender the defendant on the second bond before there has been a breach in the undertaking of the second bond and retain the bail bond premium.  In this scenario, the defendant violated an order of the court by failing to appear on the first bond.  Under the conditions set out in NCGS 58-71-20(5) a bondsman may surrender a defendant before a breach in the undertaking of the bond if the defendant violates any order of the court.

1.  Rule 5, Rules of Civil Procedure
2.  Chapter 15-A, Article 26, Bail
3.  Chapter 58-71 & 58-2-69, Bail Bondsmen and Runners
4.  State v. Locklear, 42 N.C. App. (1979) 486, 256 SE 2d 830
5.  State v. Evans, 601 S.E. 2nd 877 (N.C. App. 2004)
6.  State v. McCarn, 151 N.C. App. 742 (2002) 566 S.E. 2d 751
7.  State v. Coronel, 145 N.C. App. 237 (2001) 550 S.E. 2d 561
8.  State v. Vikre, 86 N.C. App. 196 (1987) 356 S.E. 2d 802
9.  State v. Lanier, 93 N.C. App. 779 (1989) 379 S.E. 2d 109
10. State v. Robinson, 551 S.E. 2d 460
11. Article IX  7 of the NC Constitution
12. State v. Robertson, 603 S.E. 2d 400
13. State v. Belton, 610 S. E. 2d 283, N.C. App. 2005)
14. State v. Pelley, 222 N.C. 684, (1943) 24 S.E. 2d 635
15. State v. Robinson, 145 N.C. App 658 (2001) 551 S. E. 2d 460
16. State v. Fonville, 72 N.C. App. 527 (1985) 325 S. E. 2d 258
17. State, By and Through Moore County Board of Education v. Pelletier etc., 606 S. E. 2d 907
18. State v. Harkness, 516 S. E. 2d 166, N.C. App. (1999)
19. State v. Edwards etc. (04-1387) N.C. App. (2005)
20. State v. Harco (06-1331) N.C. App. (2007)