Bail and Pretrial Release Lawyers
Different states have different laws regarding their bail processes. Some have abolished the bail system entirely and instead judges determine whether people are safe to be released. With federal cases, there are several different procedures for setting and modifying bail. People will also need to meet certain conditions to be released prior to trial.
If you or someone you care about has been arrested before a federal trial, it’s important to get in contact with a lawyer as soon as possible. Your attorney can help you navigate the bail process and advocate on your behalf. This will give you a much better chance of getting to be back with your family prior to the trial.
Bail happens when a person is released after being arrested but before their trial begins. They must promise that they will appear in court and cooperate with all proceedings. Federal courts might hold people without bail when they cannot meet the conditions they need to in order to be released.
The conditions they need to meet might involve money. More serious crimes tend to have more expensive bail measures in place, as this acts as insurance to make sure the defendant appears in court. They get the bail money back once they go to court. If they choose not to go to court, the court will keep the money.
In some cases, even if a defendant can meet bail conditions, a judge might decide not to offer bail at all. This can happen in cases including:
- When a person is a significant enough flight risk that the judge doesn’t believe they’ll cooperate
- When a person poses a danger to the public
- When a person poses a danger to certain people in their lives
After you are arrested on federal charges, you will appear in court in front of a magistrate judge. This is the point at which you will be told what you have been arrested for, including the official indictment. If anyone else was involved in the alleged crime, the charges against your codefendants will also be explored at this time.
It’s helpful to get a private attorney as soon as you are arrested. If you suspect you might be arrested, make sure that you hire an attorney before law enforcement even comes to your door. For those who cannot afford a private attorney, a public defender will be assigned during the first hearing.
You will talk to your lawyer about the rights you have under the US Constitution. Your lawyer will also talk about the risks of trial, the sentence you might be facing, and potential options for a plea deal.
This appearance is often referred to as your detention hearing. If there are any problems regarding extradition and your identity, they will be discussed here. There have been rare instances in which the defendant proves that the wrong person has been arrested. When this happens, the arrested individual must be released.
Other unusual cases might occur if you are arrested in one area, but the actual case takes place in another federal court somewhere else in the country. You might be extradited to the state in which the case is being debated.
There is a fundamental right to contest the extradition. But unless you can prove mistaken identity, you will not have legal recourse to fight the extradition order. You will have to return to the state in which your actual court case is occurring.
If there is no suspicion that a defendant is dangerous or at risk of flight, they can appear voluntarily. They will receive a summons to appear in court, which allows them to come to the court date without being arrested. This is helpful especially since arrests can cause people to lose their jobs and destroy their families, even if they are never found guilty of the crime in question.
If you receive a summons like this, you will need to sign it and send it back to court. This lets the court know that you are aware of the summons. Those who have received a summons need to talk to their lawyers about remaining out of jail as the case progresses. A lawyer will know what needs to be done to keep you from being arrested.
Once you have your first appearance, there will be an investigation done by the pretrial services department. This department of the federal government will recommend either detaining or releasing of the defendant. They will also make a recommendation about conditions of the release, such as bail money paid.
This is one of the most influential reports when it comes to determining bail. It will include information about the defendant’s personality, criminal history, community ties, employment, financial situation, and any other information relevant to the case.