You just got off the phone with your boyfriend, who called from jail. Now you are pressured with the responsibility of getting him out. What do you do? You call a bail bondsman for help. But are you hesitating because of how high your boyfriend’s bail is set at? If so, continue reading to learn what you need to know about bail and bail schedules before committing to a bail bond contract on behalf of your boyfriend.
The Basics of Bail Schedules
The purpose of setting a bail amount is to obligate and encourage offenders to appear for their court heating after being released from custody. They should be high enough to make offenders want to appear for court, but not so high that they are incredibly unreasonable. In fact, the 8th Amendment in our United States Constitution protects this right.
For most jurisdictions around the country, bail schedules are used to help set bail amounts. These are assigned bail amounts for specific types of crimes. For instance, the crime of shoplifting a pair of sunglasses from the convenient store may have a bail amount set at $1,000, while a drunk driving charge may start at $5,000 bail. Bail schedules differ from state to state, and sometimes even county to county. See our blog, “Local County Bail Bond Schedules for Indianapolis” to learn more about our city.
How Judges Generally Set Bail
Judges hold a hearing called a bail hearing, in which they discuss the bail options for the defendant. Judges have the discretion of setting a person’s bail amount, whether that means setting it high, setting it low, or granting no bail requirement at all. This is called being released on your own recognizance, commonly referred to as being “OR’d.”
Other times, a judge might deny bail privileges altogether. This is common for habitual offenders and those with a history of fleeing. Additional factors that influence bail amounts include an offender’s criminal history, the severity of their crime, the chances of them fleeing, their financial resources, and the risk they pose to themselves and others.
An Indianapolis Bail Bondsman Who is ON YOUR SIDE
Call Woods Bail Bonds at 317-876-9600 to get out your friend out of jail in Indianapolis, Indiana as fast as possible. Owner James Woods, and his team of licensed Indianapolis bail bondsmen, operate in over 30 Indiana counties, so we are always standing by to help. We offer a wide range of bail bond services, including prearranged bail for arrest warrant surrenders, as well as, free quotes, free jail information, and free pick-up and drop-off services to and from our office. Call 317-876-9600 to request a free estimate for Indianapolis bail bonds, today!
