Unfortunately, that Monopoly “Get Out of Jail Free” card you carry around in your wallet is not going to get you very far if you are ever arrested for a crime. If you are arrested, you are going to be put in jail, and chances are, you will have to post bail in order to get out.
Whether you’re an avid watcher of Law and Order or you’ve seen various bail bond company advertisements on TV or billboards, nearly everyone has at least heard of bail. Bail is some sort of property, a bond, or cash that is deposited with the court and held as insurance to ensure that you will return for your court date. In the case of property, you can get a bond for the real amount of property you own, like a home, and use it to secure your bail release.
Assuming you show up for all scheduled court dates, and you are not arrested again while you are free on bail, you will have all or most of your bail returned to you. If you elect to utilize a bail surety bond, which is a bond that is financially backed by an insurance company or bondsman that can be used to secure your release, you will have to pay a nonrefundable premium that is usually 10%-15% of the total bail amount.
If you fail to appear in court without proper notification and legally legitimate cause, you are arrested again while free on bail, or you violate any other condition of release set by the judge, your bail cash or the property you put forth as collateral will be entirely forfeit. In the case of a bond, the bondsman may hire bounty hunters to track you down if you skip bail, and can revoke your bond at any time if there is an indication you will skip bail.
Judges are responsible for setting the amount of your bail, and the Eighth Amendment to the US Constitution requires that bail not be excessive or used to generate revenue for the government. It also is not supposed to be used to punish someone for a suspected crime. After all, we are innocent until proven guilty, right? Unfortunately, this is not always the case and some judges will levy excessive bail amounts in order to purposely make sure the defendant remains in jail.
With the help of a strong defense attorney like Greg McCollum, it may be possible to secure a release from jail without having to pay any bail money, which is known as a release on one’s “own recognizance.” In this case, the defendant will sign a promise to appear in court, and it may be granted if they have strong ties to the community such as family members living there, employment, and having resided in that community for many years. These ties demonstrate a minimal flight risk.
If you have been charged with a crime, you will want to make sure you get out quickly with the least amount of financial consequences from bail. Please contact Greg McCollum’s Complete Legal Defense Team and let us fight to defend your rights and keep you out of jail.
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