214-747-4110
163 Pittsburg Street, Suite A2, Dallas, TX 75207
940-383-4600
909 E. McKinney St., Denton, TX 76209
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1502 W. University Suite #101, McKinney, TX 75069
469-500-2212
550 Vigor Way, Suite 102, Rockwall, TX 75087
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In the US, judges usually prefer granting bail to keep with the code of law one is innocent until proven guilty. But that doesn't always mean it's a slam dunk. Sometimes the circumstances of a crime or the circumstances of the accused's life can lead to higher bail amounts or flat-out denial.
Repeat offenders are particularly susceptible to the more stringent rulings. But what exactly does the court look for when making these determinations? In the following article, we'll be discussing considerations for when it isn't your first offense. Let's begin.
When you have more than one arrest on your record, it automatically increases the odds that you won't be granted bail or that the amount set will be so high you can't even afford the 10 percent bond-posting fee that most bondsmen require. That said, there are plenty of cases where your past doesn't factor in. For instance, if you have a record but it isn't one filled with serious or violent felonies, then the court likely will treat your current charge as a first offense.
Bail bonds are not an exact science. Depending on the charge you face, it can be anywhere from minuscule to too-expensive-to-afford even by the 10 percent posting standards.
Sexual assault is one of the more serious charges that will give a judge pause before he decides a case is bond-eligible. While a recent sexual assault bail amount in Spain was set at the U.S. equivalent of just $7,000, our country — and especially, the state of Texas — takes the charge more serious.
Even so, there are a variety of factors in play before a final amount can be determined (or if the case will be bail-eligible at all). Let's have a look at each one.
The court will look at the nature of the sexual assault charge, the background of the alleged perpetrator, and their proximity to the victim when making the determination if an immediate harm exists (i.e., is there a significant chance of recurrence during the time the alleged attacker is free). It also should be noted that immediate harm could apply to the accused. If he or she is a danger to themselves, the court may prefer them to be under closer supervision. Furthermore, if a family member of the alleged victim has made threats and presents a plausible danger to the accused, it may be best to hold them in protective custody.
The ability to get out of jail when arrested is the only one that matters when you are faced with incarceration. If you're new to it, all you can think about is how you don't belong. How all the obligations of home and work are going unchecked.
You're not even thinking about a legal strategy. Only how your life might be falling apart without you. Fortunately, there are several ways you can get out of jail. Here are the most common:
For light misdemeanors, particularly first-time offenses, it's not uncommon for a judge to allow your release without setting bail. Generally, the crime you committed must be non-violent, and you should be relatively stable in your home and professional life. Don't expect this outcome if your offense put others in danger.
Cash bonds also are reserved for low-level crimes where the suspects are not at risk of leaving town or no-showing their court appearance. These bail amounts can be $1,000 or less. The suspect or their supporters might even be able to cover the full amount without the need for a bond service.
How long will it take to get released from jail is one of the more common questions you will come across when researching the bail process. It's understandable. Jail is a nasty place where your freedoms go to die, and any time there as a 'guest' is too much.
When you're in jail, you march to someone else's orders and life as you knew it on the outside changes in some not so flattering ways.
So if you are arrested, what can you expect?
It's not uncommon for booking and bail to take no longer than three hours. But really, it depends on your means and your support unit. Do you have the money on your own to post bail? If not, do you know someone who will go to bat for you?
Intake is generally a quick process unless you have been booked into county jail, which takes longer than municipal detention facilities. It involves the mugshot and fingerprinting. That leads to your one entitled phone contact. In this case, you'll need to arrange with a bail bond officer yourself or have someone else do it for you. But not all bail bondsmen are the same. Some have a 'guilty until proven innocent' approach. They make the process unnecessarily difficult with poor customer service and a judgmental overtone.
Contempt of court, in simple terms, is when you disrespect the authority of the court. That sounds rather arbitrary, but certain factors must be in place before you can be found guilty of such a crime.
(And yes, you have to be found guilty of it. Judges can't just exercise this authority willy-nilly, contrary to popular belief.)
The threat of jail time has fueled many a nightmare since America's prison system emerged, and since 1991, our Doc's Bail Bonds Farmers Branch location near Denton has helped to quell some of those fears.
Give Doc's a call should you require bonding services at the Farmers Branch Detention Center. Our Denton office serves that location, and we are located close to the site, allowing us access to key personnel and working knowledge that will make for a smoother overall service to incarcerated persons and their families.
The Farmers Branch Justice Center is the technical name for the building where detention services are managed. The site employs 16 detention officers overseen by Lt. Chris Damours. Damours' procedures and employees work well with Doc's Bail Bonds, and everyone there takes their work and the safety of the inmates very seriously.
When you hire Doc's Bail Bonds, either for your own needs or the needs of a loved one locked up at Farmers Branch, we automatically know whom to contact, whom to pay, and other steps to take to ensure a quick release. Whether you're the one in jail or not, an arrest can cause ripples throughout the family. We don't want that to happen, and we will do everything in our power to lessen the impact.
Posting bail can be a confusing process when you are unfamiliar with local procedures, locations, and personnel, and that's where Doc's Flower Mound Bail Bonds office near Denton can help.
Contact Doc's if you or your loved one find yourself in the Flower Mound Jail. We have an office nearby, and we are plugged into how Chief Andy Kancel and his staff operate. We maintain an intimate knowledge of how the jail does business, who is on duty, and what they expect from you.
The Flower Mound Jail is housed at the same location as the Flower Mound Police Department at 4150 Kirkpatrick Lane in the sprawling Dallas suburb. If you or a loved one is arrested, this is your next stop.
When you contract with Doc's Bail Bonds at the Flower Mound location, we will contact and remit the required payment, so the life of you or your loved one does not have to be placed on hold between now and the next hearing date. Getting your day in court doesn't usually follow a straightforward, predictable timeline. Posting bail helps ease pressures that go along with the waiting game.
Hiring a bail bondsman can, for somebody facing the prospect of going to jail or watching a loved one go to jail, make all the difference between stress and humiliation and freedom and joy. However, this is only if you know how to identify a reputed and professional bondsman at this difficult time.
To find a company like Docs Bail Bonds, we have a very old base of satisfied clients and very few complaints or grievances, you first need to understand how Texas regulates bail bondsman and the complaints.
Unlike other types of bonds offering insurance and allied services, bail bonds—formally described as Criminal Court Appearance bonds—are not regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance. In fact, the Texas Insurance Code expressly exempts bail bonds from being regulated by its provisions.
The Bail Bond Boards
In Texas, bail bond firms are regulated by the provisions of Chapter 1704 of the Texas Occupations Code. The Code requires counties with population of 110,000 or more to compulsorily setup a Bail Bond Board. For counties with lower population, setting up the Board is recommended although not mandatory.
Early in 2017, the Dallas City Council approved a program that is known by the name of Marijuana Cite-and-Release. It was officially approved in April. Though it lessens the legal consequences of being caught with marijuana, it is not considered to be decriminalization.
The policy was put into effect on Friday, December 1st. It states that some individuals are able to walk away from being caught with marijuana, with only a ticket. It is still illegal in both Dallas and Texas as a whole. This means that people cannot just purchase marijuana and smoke it as they please.
The way that this works is that individuals who live in the Dallas County part of the city who is stopped within the area with four ounces or less of the drug will only be given a citation. They will not be arrested, and may not have to serve any jail time at all. This only applies to a person who has not had any other convictions, does not hold any outstanding warrants, is at least 17 years of age, and has either a driver's license or state ID for Texas.
The bail bond is an integral part of the criminal justice because it is just not possible to keep all accused persons in detention until completion of the trial where they are found guilty and sentenced or pronounced innocent and set free. The bail bond involves the accused submitting a financial bond, which will lapse if he/she does not show up for the court proceedings.
However, some parts of Texas have come under the scanner for setting bonds so high that it becomes impossible for the accused to post bail and avoid detention. A federal judge recently declared the Harris County bail system to be unconstitutional, which has prompted Dallas county commissioners to initiate steps to revamp the system.
It is expected that those accused of crimes and facing detention will find it within their financial reach to post bail and avoid detention. An excessively-strict bail bond regime in Dallas is ironic considering there was a time when the Dallas County Pre-trial Release program was criticized for being too lenient and for allowing detainees to post bail at excessively-low bonds.
With six offices in 5 counties, Doc's Bail Bonds serves the following areas, including but not limited to Dallas, Denton, McKinney, Bonham, Garland, Sherman, Allen, Frisco, Richardson, Carrollton, Irving, Mesquite, Farmers Branch, Flower Mound, Lewisville, The Colony, Dallas County, Fannin County, Denton County, Collin County, and Grayson County.
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