bind over
verb
bound over; binding over; binds over
transitive verb
: to put under a bond to do something (such as to appear in court)
Word History
First Known Use
1591, in the meaning defined above
Legal Definition
bind over
transitive verb
1
: to put under a bond to do something (as appear in court) under court authority
2
: to transfer (a case or defendant) to another forum after a finding of probable cause at a preliminary hearing
Note: In states that require indictment by a grand jury in felony cases, a case will be bound over to the grand jury if the judge or magistrate finds at the preliminary hearing that there is probable cause to believe that the defendant committed the crime. In states that use an information, the case is bound over to the trial court upon a finding of probable cause.
intransitive verb
: to bind a case over
questioned the magistrate's decision to bind over