How is the Bail Amount Determined For Different Charges?
Bail Amount Determined For Different Charges
Bail is an amount of money a defendant gives to the court in order to secure their spot at a future court date. It allows them to avoid sitting in jail until their trial, which can be very disruptive to their work, family, and personal life. But it can also be expensive and if the accused person is poor, they may not have the funds to pay bail.
That’s when a bail bond company can help. A bail bonds reviews acts as an insurance policy that the accused person will show up to their court hearings and will not flee the country before their trial. They do this by charging a fee, which can be quite high. However, if the accused person does not show up for their trial, then they can be charged with a failure to appear indictment, which is a very serious crime in the state of California.
The judge sets the bail amount at arraignment. During this time, the judge will look at a variety of factors in order to determine the amount. The most important factor is the severity of the crime, with more serious crimes carrying higher bail amounts. Other factors include whether the defendant is a flight risk, and if they have a history of skipping court dates.
How is the Bail Amount Determined For Different Charges?
If a judge believes that the accused person is a flight risk, they will either deny them bail outright or set the bail at an extremely high amount. This is because the court’s main goal is to ensure that the accused person shows up for trial. If the judge thinks that they will be a danger to the public, then they will have cause to believe that it would be more prudent to keep them in custody until their trial is over.
Defendants can also get their bail reduced by filing for a hearing with the court. They can then try to convince the judge that the bail is excessively high based on the reasons they have given in their motion.
The decision to set the amount of bail for a criminal case is ultimately up to the judge, which gives them a lot of leeway when making this determination. However, there are laws concerning bail that give judges some guidelines to follow in their decisions. If you or a loved one have been arrested and the bail is set at a high amount, a lawyer can help.
A skilled attorney can file for a bail reduction hearing and argue that the defendant is not a flight risk, or that their circumstances have changed since their initial arrest. They can also provide other evidence to demonstrate that the bail is unreasonable, which will help them secure a more reasonable bond amount. Contact us at A Way Out Bonds to learn more about how we can help you. We have helped many clients obtain bail and return to their lives while awaiting their court date. We will fight to get you out of jail fast!