Things Judges Consider When Setting Bail Amounts

16 Jul, 18

• in Bail Bond

If you were accused of a crime, the judge may set a bail amount that you will have to pay before you can be released from jail. The bail payment will allow you to go home until your data arises, and you can sort out your innocence. Bail bond companies are open just to help people like you to maintain their jobs and their families while they’re waiting for such court proceedings. They are a type of lender of sorts in that they pay the jail to release you, and then they get their money back when you show up for court. Judges consider many factors before they decide on a final bail amount and set the bail schedules.

They consider the following factors: 

The Nature of the Crime

The first thing that the judge considers is the crime’s nature. Felonies will naturally have higher bail amounts than misdemeanors will. A violent crime is going to have a higher bail amount than a non-violent crime will. Anything that involves negative actions taken against police officers is going to have a super high bail amount, if any, because of the criminal nature. So the first thing the judge is going to consider is the nature of the crime.

The Overall Criminal Record

The next thing that the judge will consider when he is determining the bail schedules is your overall criminal record. Someone who has no priors or one prior is likely to have a bail amount that is much lower than somebody who has a long rap sheet. And that doesn’t mean that you will not get any bail if you have a past, but the bail is likely to be extremely high. The goal is for the judge to look at the evidence and ensure that the potential flight risk and the risk of public safety are low or as low as possible.

The Risk to Public Safety

As just mentioned, the judge is going to look at the risk to public safety. He’s going to look at whether or not you will pose a threat to the community if he makes it easy for you to get back out into the community. So in other words, if you committed a crime such as rape or attempted murder or holding people hostage or something like that, all those instances are going to have very high bail set likely. In some cases, judges will deny bail altogether if they feel that the risk is too great.

The Potential Flight Risk

Finally, the deciding judge is going to look at the potential flight risk. He’s going to review your history, specifically your history with bail situations. If you’re an individual who has skipped bail previously, then you virtually have no chance of getting bail. You might get lucky, but it’s highly unlikely. The flight risk has to be low for the judge to consider assigning a bail amount and making it possible for you to get out.

After he reviews all of the factors any evidence, he’ll make a solid determination on the bail amount. You’ll need to pay the bail amount to get released from holding. The bail bond company is in business to help people who are in that situation. Bails can be very high, sometimes into the thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars. A reputable bail bond company can put up the cash if you or your family member meet the criteria. The bail bond company will also review a few things such as the applicant’s income, the nature of the crime, and your past or history with bail bonds.

Bail bond companies are usually willing to help just about anybody because they understand that people are innocent until someone proves them guilty. Therefore, they may still be able to help you if you’re a mildly risky individual if you’re willing to put up some type of collateral. The bondsman might ask for a car title release or the home deed or something like that just to ensure that the bail bond company gets their money back. The property documents will be returned following the court hearing as long as you show up. You will be able to receive help from the bail bond company again if you ever need it.