Shalini Ahmed v. United States

The questions presented are: Is a bond forfeiture proceeding sufficiently civil in nature such that it falls under certain rules governing civil actions and should be treated as a civil proceeding, though it arises from an underlying criminal case? Does a surety have the right to intervene at the inception of any bond forfeiture proceed­ ing, including when the government moves for declaration of bond forfeiture? Is a determination of the nature of a bond for­ feiture proceeding separate and final from the underlying merits of the bond forfeiture, such that it falls under the Cohen doctrine estab­ lished by this Court and thus appellate juris­ diction applies?