Hawaii Revised Statutes

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 804-1 (2026)

  Bail defined

✓ current as of July 2026
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PART I.  BAIL; RECOGNIZANCE

 

Law Journals and Reviews

 

  Risky Business:  Assessing Dangerousness in Hawai‘i.  24 UH L. Rev. 63 (2001).

 

     §804-1  Bail defined.  Bail, or the giving of bail, is the signing of the recognizance by the defendant and the defendant's surety or sureties, conditioned for the appearance of the defendant at the session of a court of competent jurisdiction to be named in the condition, and to abide by the judgment of the court. [PC 1869, c 50, §1; am L 1917, c 149, §1; RL 1925, §3977; RL 1935, §5430; RL 1945, §10731; RL 1955, §256-1; HRS §709-1; ren L 1972, c 9, pt of §1; am L 1980, c 50, §4; gen ch 1985; am L 1987, c 139, §4]

 

Cross References

 

  See Const. art. I, §12.

 

Rules of Court

 

  Proceedings following arrest, see HRPP rule 5(a).

  Bail; bond, see HRPP rule 46.

 

Case Notes

 

  Right to bail is secured under specific provisions, rather than general constitutional provision relating to liberty.  9 H. 171 (1893).

  The circuit court did not err to the extent it held that the term "surety" under §804-51 refers to the bondspersons (or bail agents) in these consolidated cases, a determination that is also consistent with this section, which provides that the surety signs on the recognizance or bond.  139 H. 147 (App.), 384 P.3d 923 (2016).

  See 36 H. 188, 192 (1942).

 

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 13 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1981–2024 · leading case: State v. Nelson, 384 P.3d 923 (Haw. App. 2016).
State v. Nelson, 384 P.3d 923 (Haw. App. 2016). · cites it 9× “It is also consistent with HRS § 804-1 (2014), which provides that the surety signs on the recognizance or bond.”
State v. Nelson, 398 P.3d 712 (Haw. 2017). · cites it 6× “” HRS § 804-1 (2014). The judge 2 admitting a defendant to hail has the discretion to set the amount of bail; in doing so, the judge considers both “the punishment to be inflicted on conviction, and the pecuniary circumstances of the party accused.”
State v. Ranger Ins. Co. Ex Rel. James Lindblad, Inc., 925 P.2d 288 (Haw. 1996). · cites it 6× “On May 29, 1990, the Surety posted a bail bond on Merino’s behalf, in accordance with HRS § 804-1 (1993), 1 in the amount of $50,-000.”
State v. Visintin., 426 P.3d 367 (Haw. 2018). · cites it 2× “Excessive Bail Under HRS § 804-1 (1993), bail is defined as "the signing of the recognizance by the defendant and the defendant's surety or sureties, conditioned for the appearance of the defendant at the session of a court of competent jurisdiction to be named in the condition,…”
State v. Kapoi, 637 P.2d 1105 (Haw. 1981). · cites it 4× “HRS §§ 804-1, 804-3, and 804-4. The fixing of bail subsequent to Robert Kapoi's arrest for the alleged "violation" was a matter within the discretion of the Chief of Police of the County of Maui or his designee.”
State v. Diaz., 286 P.3d 824 (Haw. 2012). · cites it 2× “” HRS § 804-1. 3. A defendant who has given bail must "appear promptly and respond thereto” and, upon failure to do so, default shall enter and be evidence of the breach of the defendant’s appearance bond.”
State v. Camara, 916 P.2d 1225 (Haw. 1996). “Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) § 804-1 (1993); see also United States v.”
Pelekai v. White, 861 P.2d 1205 (Haw. 1993). · cites it 2× “1 (1951)); see also HRS § 804-1. 4 The prosecution concedes that generally the chief of police or his designee may admit defendants charged with a misdemeanor offense to bail, but contends that HRS § 709-906(9) (Supp.”
State v. Miles, 354 P.3d 178 (Haw. App. 2015). · cites it 2× “The Hawaii Supreme Court has recognized that HRS §§ 804-1, -7.4(2), -17, and -51, ... read in pari materia, .”
State v. Nelson. Consol. with Nos. CAAP-12-0001041, CAAP-12-0001042, CAAP-12-0001043, CAAP-12-0001044, CAAP-12-0001045, CAAP-12-0001046, & CAAP-12-0001047. (Haw. 2017). · cites it 8× “Moreover, they had signed the bond; HRS § 804-1 requires the surety or sureties to do so.”
State v. Milo, 499 P.3d 418 (Haw. App. 2021). · cites it 6× “2 NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER HRS § 804-1 (2014) defines bail, and/or the giving of bail, as "the signing of the recognizance by the defendant and the defendant's surety or sureties, conditioned for the appearance of the defendant at the…”
State v. Carter. (Haw. App. 2024). · cites it 2× “HRS § 804-1 (2014) defines "bail" as: Bail, or the giving of bail, is the signing of the recognizance by the defendant and the defendant's surety or sureties, conditioned for the appearance of the defendant at the session of a court of competent jurisdiction to be named in the…”
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