Any time a criminal suspect is arrested and taken into police custody, a certain set of procedures must be followed. Once the suspect is processed and booked, their eligibility for release is assessed, and their release might be secured in exchanged for putting up a set amount of funds, referred to as bail money.
What is bail?
Bail is a set amount of money (or property) that is deposited and held by the court in order to ensure that the accused will return to court when they are told to do so. If the defendant does indeed return when required, the bail money is returned at the end of the trial, even in the instance that they are convicted of the crime. With that said, if the defendant does not return to court when required, or if they violate their bail conditions in any way the bail money is forfeited, and will not be returned. Your law firm can help to understand when and where you are required to attend court in order to prevent this from happening.
Being released through one’s own recognizance
Bail is not always set as a condition of being released. In some cases, a suspect might be released under their own recognizance, as long as they promise to appear in court at a later date and time. Whether or not an individual is eligible to be released on his or her own recognizance depends on a wide array of factors such as a previous criminal record, severity of the crime, employment history and family life, but will ultimately depend on the judgement of the officials involved.
The booking process
Here is what you can expect from the booking process, as it usually involves these steps in this order.
- Your personal information will be collected (name, date of birth, relevant physical characteristics)
- Information and details about your alleged crimes
- A search will be performed about your criminal background
- You will be fingerprinted, photographed and searched
- Your personal items will be confiscated and kept in safekeeping
- You will be placed in a cell
How does an individual post bail?
In order to get out of jail before your trial, you can usually post bail by paying the set amount by cash or check. If this is not possible for financial reasons or personal preference, you can post bail in the following ways.
- You can sign over ownership rights to property that has a cash value equal or greater to your bail amount.
- Acquiring a bond (a promise to pay the full amount if you do not appear when required) from a licensed bail bondsman for the full amount of your bail money. This bond usually costs 10 % of the cost of the bail money.
No matter what, if you have been arrested and released on bail in Orlando, you need to select the best criminal defense lawyer for your needs. The skilled criminal defense team at Grozinger Law P.A. is here to help – call or email us today.
