FOLIO Ontology

An excessive bail claim is a legal action initiated by an individual alleging that their Eighth Amendment right to be free from excessive bail has been violated by the government or a government actor. The Eighth Amendment prohibits the government from imposing excessive bail, which is a monetary sum set by a court to ensure that an individual shows up for trial or other legal proceedings. An excessive bail claim may arise in various contexts, such as when a court sets an unreasonably high bail amount that is beyond the individual's ability to pay, or when a court sets bail at a level that is disproportionate to the offense committed.