Long Island Bail Reduction Lawyer
When many people think about a person being in jail, they may think about how that person is affected. However, when a person is incarcerated, it often has a big effect on a lot of people other than just the person who is being accused of the crime. Family members, friends and more can all be affected by an individual’s incarceration. This is just one of many reasons why getting someone out on bail can be so important.
Unfortunately, it’s not always as easy as just calling a bail bondsman to get someone out of jail. In some cases, bail amounts are high, and it’s impossible for the family to get together the money that they need to get their loved one out of jail. Even though this might seem like a situation that simply cannot be fixed, a Long Island bail reduction lawyer might be able to help.
What is Bail?
Even though you might have heard of the term of “bailing someone out of jail,” you might not know much about it if you have never had to do it. However, the idea of it is pretty simple.
Basically, with bail, the court wants to help ensure that a person who has been arrested will show up for his or her court date. Therefore, you might be required to put up bail that will be seized in the event that your loved one does not show up to court. If the person does show up to court, the bail will be returned to you.
Some people pay the bail in cash and then wait to receive their cash back until after the case has been handled. You can also work with a bail bondsman who will put up the bond in exchange for a cash fee that you do not receive back. In some cases, you can use your land or home as collateral for the bond, which means you could be at risk of losing your property if your loved one does not show up for court.
How is Bail Determined?
Bail is determined based off of a few different factors. For one thing, the courts generally look at what the person is being charged with. In general, someone who is being charged with a basic misdemeanor is going to have a much lower bond amount than someone who is being charged with a felony. Also, felonies differ; someone with a less serious felony will usually be able to get out on bail for much less than someone who is facing a more serious felony. Some felonies, such as murder, might mean that there is no bail at all.
The charge itself is not the only thing that the courts look at when setting bail, however. For example, someone who isn’t facing a very serious crime might still have a higher bail amount because of his or her past criminal history. Courts often look at a person’s ties to the community as well and whether or not he or she is prone to try to “jump bail” and skip his or her court appearance.
How Can a Long Island Bail Reduction Lawyer Help?
If you hire a Long Island bail reduction lawyer, he or she will look at your loved one’s charges, criminal history and bond. Then, he or she will look for potential defenses to help have his or her bail reduced, such as by bringing up his or her full-time job, family or other ties to the community. In some cases, house arrest is an option; even though your loved one will be on house arrest until his or her court date, he or she will be allowed to be at home instead of sitting in jail. Every scenario is different, so the best way to find out more about what might work for your loved one’s case is to sit down with a Long Island bail reduction lawyer who can give you a better idea of what to expect.
If someone you love is currently in jail awaiting trial, you may want to do anything that you can to bring him or her home. Unfortunately, this is not always easy, since bail amounts can be high and can be difficult or impossible for the average family to pay. Even though you might think that you are out of options and that there is no way that you will be able to bring your loved one home, you should know that you do have options. If you contact us, we can schedule an appointment for you to meet with a Long Island bail reduction lawyer. Then, one of our attorneys can find out more about your loved one’s case and can work toward getting him or her a reduced bail so that you can find a way to bring him or her home.