A bind over is an old fashioned way of a court telling someone to stay out of trouble. A person promises to comply with certain conditions for a length of time and for a sum of money.
Bind overs can be an alternative to prosecution or a sentence or part of a sentence. In some situations parents can be given bind overs.
A person who has been bound over and does not follow the conditions can be brought back to court and asked to pay the sum of money. Breach of a bind over is not a criminal conviction.
First published: January 07, 2015
Last updated: July 09, 2015
