What is a Nebbia hold and why is my bond frozen?
A Nebbia hold — sometimes called a source-of-funds requirement — means the court has directed that the origin of the bond money be established before the person is released, even though a bond amount has been set.
It typically appears in cases involving alleged drug proceeds, fraud, or organized activity, where the concern is that the money securing release came from criminal activity.
What satisfies it varies by court, but generally involves documentation: bank statements, pay records, tax returns, property records, loan documents, or affidavits from whoever is providing the funds. Cash of uncertain origin is the problem it's designed to catch.
The practical difficulty is time. Assembling documentation takes days, and the person remains in custody throughout. Families frequently discover the hold only after arranging bond and finding it can't be posted.
A hearing is generally required, and counsel presents the documentation there.
Start gathering financial records immediately — this is the delay nobody plans for. ---
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