Art. 26 Power to order peace bonds

Here's what this rule means: a judge or magistrate has the authority to require someone to post a peace bond. A peace bond is a promise, backed by money, that a person will behave and not cause trouble or harm to others.

This power isn't unlimited. The magistrate has to follow the specific steps and requirements laid out elsewhere in this same chapter of the law. Those other rules explain when a peace bond can be ordered, how much it should be, and what happens if someone breaks the promise. This rule simply confirms that magistrates have the power to issue these bonds in the first place, as long as they follow the proper process.

For someone involved in a case, this means a judge can require you to put up money as a guarantee of good behavior, but only if the legal process for doing so is followed correctly.