Bond To Keep The Peace

What does Bond To Keep The Peace mean in American Law?

The definition of Bond To Keep The Peace in the law of the United States, as defined by the lexicographer Arthur Leff in his legal dictionary is:

A bond or recognizance by the terms of which a sum of money is to be paid if a named person breaches the peace, i.e., commits an assault or a nuisance. It is procured at the instance of a judicial officer by the named person as a way of assuring his future good behavior after an earlier peace breaking event. A common situation giving rise to such a bond involves quarreling neighbors, where a magistrate may make one or both parties execute one in an attempt to get them to cool the ardor of their dispute. As such it is an alternative to convicting one or the other of assault and conditioning probation on future peaceful behavior. See also abearance; articles of the peace.