Criminal conditions of release are a combination of rules imposed on a defendant by the Court.
In other words, the judge outlines activities that you must do or must not do. This can occur before your arraignment, at your arraignment, or conditions of release can be modified later in the Vermont criminal process. Conditions of release are only in effect while your criminal case is pending. If you have been found guilty or pled guilty but have not been sentenced, your conditions of release remain in effect. The standard form outlining the most common conditions of release in Vermont criminal court can be found here.
Conditions of release may be imposed by the Court if the judge determines that there is a risk that the defendant won’t appear or because there is a danger to the public.
After a judge imposes conditions of release on a defendant he or she must sign a conditions of release order. The defendant’s signature is an acknowledgement that he or she understands the conditions and understands he or she must abide by them.
If a criminal defendant gets caught violating conditions of release, a new criminal charge may issue. A violation of conditions of release (or VCR as it is commonly called) can result in additional criminal charges, bail or surety being imposed by the Vermont Superior Court, or even being detained in custody until your trial.
The Vermont release prior to trial statute can be found here.
