Do You Need a Bondsman for DUI?

By Fiona Baron


Your Sacramento DUI lawyer may have advised you make use of the expertise of a bondsman to help your loved one make bail following their DUI arrest. Many individuals in the current economy have a very hard time making bail after their DUI arrest. This can be especially hard after a second or third DUI or if circumstances made the DUI be able to get enhanced penalties, for example being involved in an injury accident or having a minor inside the vehicle while the suspect was driving drunk. If the suspect has an arrest record or is on parole, these instances may demand bond or bail to be set greater than the standard going rate. Let's take a look at DUI arrests and bail in greater detail.

DUI Processing

Before bail may be set in a DUI case, the suspect is going to be processed. During the processing much of the key information is attained that will be used to figure out how much the bail is going to be. A criminal record check is run, plus the suspect will be fingerprinted. One thing that oftentimes occurs during processing that complicates getting released on bail for a DUI is when the suspect has outstanding warrants or is wanted for some other charge. If this is the case, then bond has to be set not only for the DUI but for the additional charges as well. If the suspect were to possess a so-called "bench" warrant because of not appearing in court on another charge, bail may be denied altogether, or enhanced significantly.

Setting Bond Often the officials with the precinct or jail can set bond for the suspect. But when there are any extenuating circumstances, a judge may need to decide on bail. So while simple first-time DUI suspects can bail out of jail in mere hours after a DUI arrest, others will need to see a judge the next morning. The judge will take all the pertinent information surrounding the suspect's arrest and the suspect into consideration when determining bond. The suspect's criminal background and record are the most critical factors that the judge will consider, but he's going to also look at the DUI arrest and if there has been any sort of accident related to the suspect's drunk driving behavior. If the DUI accident involves any injuries, then bail will be much more than any sort of accident with no injuries. When the bail has become set, then the suspect, the Sacramento DUI lawyer, or whoever is assisting on the suspect's behalf must pay the total amount that the court has ordered in order for the release to occur. If the suspect can't afford the bail, then it might be necessary to use the services of a bail bondsman. The bail bondsman will in most cases bail the suspect from jail for ten percent of the total bail amount. For instance, if bail is determined at $20,000, the bondsman would receive from you $2,000 and he would give the balance to allow you to get released. The bondsman will charge a fee for his services, which is usually deducted from your deposit that you pay.

So, when you have been arrested for DUI, your Sacramento DUI lawyer will help get you in contact with a bondsman so that you can bail out of jail.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment