A: The word bail as a legal term is defined as security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial. The arrested person is then released from imprisonment upon payment of such money.
The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that bail not be excessive. This means that bail should not be used to raise money for the government or to punish a person for being suspected of committing a crime.
