How Is Bail Set?
When you’re arrested, it can be difficult to wrap your head around the process of bail. There is a method or a schedule that judges use to set bail and to determine what amount is to be paid for the release of the person that is in jail. For those that are dealing with getting loved ones out of jail, bail is your best bet.
How Is Bail Set?
- Degree of Violence
- Crime Itself
- Past Record
- Likelihood of the Person Fleeing
The first part of the schedule that the judge is going to consider is how violent the crime itself is. For non-violent, petty misdemeanor crimes, the bail is often rather low, around $500. For crimes that are more violent, the bail amount goes up. As the violence level of the crime increases, so does the amount of bail.
Another factor that’s considered is the crime that was committed. Not only the violence of the crime but if it’s a felony or a misdemeanor, if there were other people involved, if other people were injured and more. These are going to help the judge determine how to set bail and what the amount should be. If you commit a crime that involves others or that causes injury to other people or their property, that’s going to be considered more serious and will likely lead to a larger bail.
The judge will also consider your past record. This means how many times you have offended before, if you have committed any other crimes, if you’ve been in prison before and more. If you are a repeat offender, you’re going to be kept in jail rather than being released.
The last factor that the judge is going to look at is the likelihood that the person arrested is going to flee before the trial date, before they are held responsible for their alleged crime. This means that if you have family out of state, if you have a great deal of money and the ability to leave, or if you have fled before when you have committed a crime, the judge is likely to set the bail higher to help keep you in prison.
What To Do If a Loved One Ends up in Prison?
If you have a loved one that ends up in prison, there are a few things you can do. A bail bond service like Free At Last Bail Bonds can help you get your loved one out of prison before their trial, so they can come home and await their trial. Bail is something that is set to help reduce the number of people in jail that are not necessarily violent offenders and to allow them time to go home while they await their trial. Bail money is a fantastic way to legally get your loved one out of jail while they await trial and Free At Last Bail Bonds can help.