If a court insists on '10% cash' only, what must courts allow?

• A. The option of a surety bond; Ohio courts must allow surety as a bail option.
• B. Only cash can be used; no alternatives are allowed.
• C. A personal recognizance bond must be allowed.
• D. A property bond must be allowed.

Answer: (A)

In Ohio, bail options must include more than just cash. Even if a court uses a 10% cash approach to release someone, the system is designed so that a surety bond option is available as well. A surety bond means a bail bondsman posts the full bond with the court and the defendant (or their family) pays a nonrefundable fee, often around 10%, for the service. The bondsman is then responsible for ensuring the defendant appears in court; if the defendant skips town, the bondsman can pursue repayment.

So when the question asks what courts must allow if they insist on a 10% cash mechanism, the best answer is that courts must allow a surety bond as a bail option. This reflects the statutory goal of offering multiple paths to release and prevents cash-only restrictions that could deny bail options to some defendants. Other forms like personal recognizance or property bonds exist in practice, but the key requirement highlighted here is the availability of a surety bond.