Getting arrested can be a traumatizing experience, but it does not compare to spending time in jail. Jails can be extremely stressful and life changing. You can lose your job and reputation if you have to spend time in jail during your pretrial period.
If you or your loved one has been arrested, it is important to seek a bail bond and get out of jail as soon as possible. Here is what you need to know about bail bonds and how they vary depending on the criminal charge.
How Is the Bail Amount Affected by Criminal Charges?
The amount you will pay for bail depends on the crime in which you are being charged with. This is because the incentives for more serious charges need to be higher. Recently, courts have used algorithms to make informed decisions about bail amounts. Select information about the defendant is entered into a computer program and a score of recommendation is generated. These algorithms consider factors such as the defendants age and criminal history and are intended to assess the risk the defendant will pose to commit another crime or fail to appear in court. Many times, however, the bail amount is determined based on precedent for similar crimes.
What Crimes Have Lower Bail Amounts?
Crimes that haver lower bail amounts are those that are non-violent. Some offenses that fit into this category would include theft or possession crimes. Crimes that include bodily harm to another person or threats will have a higher bail amount, such as assault and battery charges, sexual offenses, or manslaughter charges.
Factors That Influence Bail Amounts
Severity of the Charge
While the severity of your charge impacts your bail amount, there are other factors that also affect how much your bail will be posted for. Some of these factors include criminal history, whether you are on parole or probation, and if you are eligible for bail. If you are guilty of any of these factors, you can expect your bail amount to be higher. If this is a multiple offense, your bail will dramatically increase by thousands of dollars.
Risk Posed to the Community
In many cases, judges will set bail high to a nearly unaffordable level to keep suspected offenders in jail until their trial. Judges are under high scrutiny, and if the defendants that they have released on bail commit new crimes, they can lose elections. On the other hand, they rarely take political heat to keep a suspect in jail. The types of offenses that could end up in this situation are those that are violent and if the defendant poses a danger to the community. If the defendant harmed a child, the changes are high that their bail amount will be more.
Police Practices
Police tend to arrest suspects for the most serious charge possible based on the facts available at the time. For example, police may treat possession of a small amount of marijuana as an arrest for possession of marijuana with intent to sell. The first charge is a misdemeanor in many states, while the second is a felony. Even though the charge will likely be reduced to a misdemeanor later on, it is assigned a felony for the purposes of the bail schedule and amount.
Bail schedules specify bail amounts for common crimes. As a rule, felony offenses have five to ten times higher bail amounts compared to misdemeanors.
What If You Disagree with the Amount Your Bail Is Set At?
If you feel your bail amount is unfair, you disagree with it, or simply cannot afford to pay it, you can ask your attorney or public defender to schedule a bail reduction hearing. This hearing is in front of a judge and they will consider the factors mentioned above. They will also review the evidence against you for your current charge and information relating to your financial situation. They will decide whether it is justifiable to reduce bail, leave it at the same amount, or even increase it if the prosecutors make a good case for it. If the judge agrees your bail amount should be reduced, they will determine a new amount to set it at. Having your bail amount reduced may make it possible for you to have your family members or friends post bail for you.
However, if you cannot afford bail, getting help from a bail bondsman in Tarrant County can get you or your loved one out of jail until the trial.
Get Affordable Bail in Tarrant County, Texas
If your or someone you know needs a bail bond in Tarrant County or Fort Worth, Texas, we can help. PCS Bail Bonds can be at the jail in 30 minutes to post bail and help you maintain your discretion while your trial is pending. With our help, you can increase the chances that you can continue working and going about your life as normal until your hearing.
With over 25 years of experience, we help our clients navigate the complex world of legal proceedings. We also have professional memberships in several renowned associations including the Professional Bondsmen of Texas, Tarrant County Bar Association, and Professional Bondsmen of Tarrant County. We also post affordable bail bonds, offering rates that are 10% lower than our competitors.
Contact us now by phone at 817-335-1655, at our e-mail, visit in-person, or fill out our bail bond request form. Our experts are dedicated to helping you navigate the complexities of the justice system. We are always on call and ready to help you.