If you have been arrested, one of your immediate thoughts will be about how to pay bail and get out quickly. There are a few factors that affect how bail amount is determined, and after it is set you have a few options. You can pay the entire bail amount in cash out of your own pocket, you can get assistance from a bail bondsman, or you can wait in jail for your court hearings. The latter is not an option that most people are okay with, as they have families and jobs to take care of.
If you need to get out of jail fast, you will need to pay your bail on your own or with a bail bond. Here’s how bail amount is determined, and what to expect.
Do You Have A Criminal Record?
If you have a criminal record or this isn’t your first time behind bars, your bail will probably be higher than the last time you were arrested. They use this to decide how likely you are to commit another crime or wind up back in jail. If this isn’t your first time in jail. The court will see an emerging pattern and probably increase your bail amount. Your criminal record, or lack of one, will help decide how bail amount is determined.
If you have failed to appear in court in the past, this is certainly something that will be taken into consideration when your bail is set. There are many reasons why it is important to make sure you appear at your court hearings, but this is a big one. If you don’t appear in court, you will have a warrant out for your arrest and could wind up back in jail. Each time this happens, your bail will be set higher as you have proven to the court you won’t show up.
Are You A Flight Risk?
If the court feels like you are a flight risk, your bail will be set incredibly high to reduce the chances you will be able to pay it, or it can be denied altogether. For example, if you have your passport with you when arrested, unless you have a good reason to have it, you may not get bail. Whether of not you are a flight risk will affect how bail amount is determined for you.
General Bail Schedules
Most city jails have what is called a bail schedule, it basically is a guide sheet that can help police determine your bail amount. It will tell them a standard price for the crime essentially. If your bail can be determined in this way, things may move faster since you don’t have to wait for a bail hearing. A bail schedule will make it easier to discover how bail amount is determined for you to get out of jail. Bail schedules can vary a lot from jail to jail, so the cost of the crime may be different depending on where you are taken.
Another common practice is for jailhouses to have a duty judge. A duty judge is basically a judge who can be reached by law enforcement over the phone, and your bail can be set that way. This way, you are still avoiding a bail trial and can still get out reasonably quickly.
Call ABC Bail Bonds
If you have been arrested, call ABC Bail Bonds at (713) 222-6222. You can also contact us online anytime you or someone you know needs to get out of jail quickly. There are a lot of factors that go into how bail amount is determined. A bail bondsman does more than just help pay your bail, we can help remind you of your court hearings. After an arrest it is important to appear in court, otherwise, you run the risk of another arrest. Get out of jail and stay out of jail with ABC Bail Bonds.
