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)

Examples of bind over in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His case was bound over to a grand jury, which is expected to be scheduled in the coming months. —Evan Mealins, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Aug. 2024

District Judge Laura Polizzi bound over both men — Carlos Hernandez, 38, and Joshua Zuazo, 39, both of Dearborn — to stand trial in Oakland County Circuit Court. —Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 17 Dec. 2024

In June 2022, Schurr was charged with second-degree murder by the Kent County Prosecutor's Office and was bound over for trial after a preliminary examination in October of that year. —Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 2 Dec. 2024

Kerr was charged in October and bound over for trial in circuit court last week. —Stepheny Price, Fox News, 19 Nov. 2024

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

bindover noun