A person who has agreed either to act as surety or to deposit cash bail for a defendant who has been admitted to preconviction bail may terminate the agreement by appearing before the clerk of the court having jurisdiction over the offense with which the defendant is charged and executing a statement under oath terminating the agreement. The statement must include a certification by the person that the person has notified the defendant or the defendant's attorney of the person's intention to terminate the agreement. A person may not terminate a cash bail agreement unless the person has been designated as the owner of all of the cash as required by section 1074.   [PL 1995, c. 356, §14 (AMD).]

Upon execution of the statement terminating the agreement, the clerk shall bring the matter to the attention of a judge or justice of the court who, unless new and sufficient sureties have appeared or new and sufficient cash has been deposited, shall order the defendant committed for failure to furnish bail and shall issue a warrant for the defendant's arrest.   [PL 1995, c. 356, §14 (AMD).]

The judge or justice may absolve the person of responsibility to pay all or part of the bond or may order the return of cash bail, except that a person may not be absolved of the responsibility to pay all or part of the bond, or receive any cash deposited as bail, if, prior to terminating the agreement, the defendant has failed to appear as required or the defendant has failed to comply with each condition of release. Nothing in this section may be construed to relieve or release a person of the responsibility for the appearance of the defendant, notwithstanding the termination of the agreement, until the defendant is in the custody of the sheriff of the county in which the case is pending, new or substitute sureties have appeared, new cash bail has been deposited or the defendant has otherwise been admitted to bail.   [PL 2015, c. 436, §6 (AMD).]

A person who has agreed either to act as surety or to deposit cash bail for a defendant who has been admitted to post-conviction bail may terminate the agreement by following the procedure set forth in this section.   [PL 1995, c. 356, §14 (AMD).]