§ 30. Bonds, appearance, forfeiture and cash.

Any police officer of the City of Riverdale shall have authority to release any person arrested for a violation of any law, regulation or rule of said municipal government upon such person giving bond payable to the City of Riverdale in an amount and surety to be approved by the policeman or as directed by the municipal court judge, conditioned for the appearance of such person before the municipal court at the time and place specified in said bond and from time to time until he or she shall have been tried for the offense for which charged. If any person so released under appearance bond shall fail to appear for trial at the time named therein, such bond shall be forfeited; and a rule nisi shall be issued requiring him or the surety upon such bond to show cause before said court, at a time not less than ten (10) days from the date of such rule, why such bond shall not be absolutely forfeited. Copies of such rule shall be served upon such person or persons to whom it shall be directed at least five (5) days before the return day thereof, provided such person or persons are residents of said city, and such service may be made personally or by mailing a written notice to such person or persons at their last known address. At the time such rule is made returnable and no sufficient cause be shown, the forfeiture of said bond shall be final and absolute, and execution shall issue for the full amount thereof, and all costs, against the principal and sureties thereof or such of time as shall have been served. Such execution shall be signed by the clerk of the City of Riverdale and the municipal court judge, and shall be directed to all police officers of said city and to all and singular the sheriffs and constables of this state, and the same when so issued shall be a lien upon all property, real or personal of such parties, and [of] binding effect upon such property and of the defendants therein as if the same were issued upon judgments in the superior courts, and shall be levied by any officer to whom it shall be directed. Provided, however, that any police officer of said city, when the emergency of the occasion demands it, may require cash bonds for the appearance of such arrested person or persons, and upon their failure to appear at trial thereof, said cash bond may, in the discretion of the judge, be regarded as a fine and so assessed by said Judge.

(1957 Ga. Laws, page 2791; 1982 Ga. Laws, page 5320)