Jacksonville Criminal Attorney Blog

As a Jacksonville Criminal Lawyer, we handle many bond matters, including bond reductions in Jacksonville. Our Jacksonville criminal law firm gets many questions about bonds, including when a person can bond out prior to appearing in first appearance court. (also called J-1)

Generally, when someone is arrested for a misdemeanor in Jacksonville, they are able to bond out prior to first appearance court. They types of crimes you can bond out just after arrest are petty theft, disorderly intoxication, or criminal mischief. The jail personnel will set the bond amount. If you are arrested for certain misdemeanors in Jacksonville, you have to appear in front of a judge who sets your bond. If you are arrested for DUI in Jacksonville or Domestic Battery in Jacksonville, the J-1 judge sets your bond or releases you on your own recognizance. (also called ROR) Also, if you are arrested on any felony in Jacksonville, you must appear in front of a judge to set your bond.

A Mississippi doctor has been arrested while out on bond for drug charges. Dr. David Allen had posted $100,000 bond after being arrested for cultivation of marijuana, sale of a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm. While out, he was arrested again for witness tampering and bribery. The judge in his case revoked the doctor's bond.

If you are arrested in Jacksonville, you are entitled to go in front of a judge within 24 hours to address your bond. The judge can release you on your own recognizance, set a reasonable bond, or hold you on no bond if statutory requirements are met. If you bond out of jail or are released (ROR), you have to be on your best behavior. If you are arrested on new charges while on bond, the judge handling your case can revoke your bond and you will be held in jail until the disposition of your case. Normally, the prosecutor will file a motion to revoke your bond your Jacksonville criminal defense lawyer can argue against it. If the judge finds that the new arrest is supported by probable cause, he or she can put you back in jail.

Yesterday, a Jacksonville judge held bond hearings for all of her criminal cases. The jail is overcrowded and she felt this would help. Seventeen bonds were reduced in Jacksonville as a result of this day of hearings.

When you are arrested in Jacksonville or anywhere in Florida, you are entitled to see a judge within 24 hours to address pretrial release. There are two reasons to set a monetary bond. To protect the community from any danger and to assure a defendant's appearance in court. If you hire a Jacksonville Bond Attorney before going to first appearance court, that Jacksonville Lawyer can argue to the court that the inmate be released on their own recognizance or get a low bond.

If you are arrested for a felony, the judge in first appearance court cannot take care of your case. That judge will set a bond and give you a felony court date. You are entitled to have a felony judge look at your bond after your initial court date. A Bond Reduction Attorney in Jacksonville can get you another hearing date in front of the presiding felony court judge.

When you are arrested in Jacksonville, you are entitled to a bond hearing. At the hearing, the judge has to make a determination about

1. whether or not you pose a danger to the community and

2. whether you are a flight risk

The judge has to let you have a hearing where a Jacksonville Bond Attorney can present witnesses on your behalf and argument. The criminal defense lawyer will argue your ties to the community, the length of time you have resided in Jacksonville, your employment, etc. The Jacksonville lawyer may also discuss your criminal history and whether or not you have failed to appear at any past court dates. The judge must consider all of these factors as well as the amount of proof the police and state attorney has against you. After considering everything, the judge has to decide a reasonable bond.

If you are arrested for a capital offense (first degree murder) or a crime punishable by life and the prosecutor demonstrates that the proof of guilt is evident and the presumption great, the judge does not have to give you a bond.

The former police commissioner, Bernard Kerik, is now back in jail because a judge revoked his bond. Kerik originally bonded out with a $500,000 bail, but the judge said he violated a court order by talking about his case.

If you are out on bond in Jacksonville, the judge can revoke your bond if you are arrested for a new crime in Jacksonville and that crime is supported by probable cause. A judge can also revoke your bond if you violate the terms of the bond. For example, if you have been arrested for domestic battery in Jacksonville and part of your bond will probably be to have no contact with the victim. If a judge thinks that you had any kind of contact, he or she can revoke your bond and put you back in jail. Before your bond is revoked, you are entitled to a hearing and a Jacksonville Bond Attorney can argue on your behalf.

New York money manager, Bernard Madoff, who was arrested for fraud in New York is wearing an ankle monitor (house arrest) while waiting for his criminal case to go to trial. The prosecutors in his case want his bond revoked because they claim he is trying to get rid of assets and therefore poses a risk to the community. His criminal defense attorneys argue that Madoff is not a danger to the community and is not a flight risk.

In Jacksonville and all of Florida, there are two reasons to set a monetary bond:

1. If the person arrested for a crime is a danger to the community OR

2. If the person arrested is a flight risk.

Each person arrested has the right to an individualized review of his or her situation. For more information on bond matters in Jacksonville, click here.

If you have any questions about bond reductions in Jacksonville or house arrest in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Bond Reduction Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

Middleburg residents, Keith Allen and Gary Connor, have been arrested for Grand Theft by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. They are accused of stealing roadside railings and hardware. They are being held in the Duval County Jail on $100,003 and $50,003 bonds. Grand Theft is a third degree felony punishable for up to 5 years in prison.

Grand Theft is a non-violent crime. There are two reasons to set a high monetary bond:

1. If the accused person poses a danger to the community or

2. If the person accused is a flight risk.

A judge would have looked at these two men's criminal records and considered their ties to the community.

If you have any questions about a bond reduction in Jacksonville, please call our Jacksonville Bond Reduction Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

Jon Burge, a former homicide officer in Chicago, has been arrested in Florida for perjury and obstruction of justice for lying on official documents. It is believed that Burge tortured, beat, and choked suspects of crimes to get confessions in the 70's and 80's.

No criminal charges could be filed on the torture because the statute of limitations ran out on that charge. The statute of limitations is a time limit for prosecuting the crime. The reason we have time limits is to make sure the case is resolved while evidence is fresh and available.

Burge made a $250,000 bond.

If you have any questions about bail bonds or bond reductions in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Bond Reduction Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

Jacksonville, Florida has 3 jail facilities:

Pretrial Detention Facility

- The address is 500 East Adams Street, Jacksonville, Florida 32202.

- This jail holds people who have not yet been sentenced on all their charges.

- Important phone numbers to the Pretrial Detention facility are:
1. Medical Clinic - 358-1960
2. Mail - 630-5835
3. Inmate Info - 630-5747

-Visitation is from 8:00 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily. Visitation time is limited to 2 hours during the week and 30 minutes on weekends. The first letter of the inmate's last name establishes the visitation day.
Sun. - ABC
Mon. - DEFG
Tues. - HIJ
Wed. - KLM
Thur. - NOPQR
Fri. - STUV
Sat. - WXYZ

Montgomery Correctional Center

- The address is 4727 Lannie Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32218.

- This jail holds sentenced inmates, both male and female.

- Important phone numbers are:
1. Inmate Info. - 766-5076
2. Medical Clinic - 768-3276

- Visitation is from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m to 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The first letter of the inmates last name determines their visitation day.
A-C - Mon. and the 1st and 3rd Sat. of each month
D - Tues. and 1st and 3rd Sat. of each month
E-H - Wed. and the 2nd and 4th Sat. of each month
I-K - Wed. and the 2nd and 4th Sat of each month
L-M - Wed. and the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month
N-R - Thur. and the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month
S - Thur. and the 2nd and 4th Sun. of each month
T-Z - Fri. and the 2nd and 4th Sun. of each month

Community Corrections Division

- The address is Catherine Street, Jacksonville, Florida 32202.

- This facility holds inmates sentenced to work release or the Matrix Substance Abuse Program.

- Important phone numbers are:
1. Information - 630-2856 and 630-2860
2. Medical Clinic - 358-1960

- Visitation is determined by the first letter of the last name of the inmate. Visit limit is 2 hours.
A-J - Sat. from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
K-Z - Sun. from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

If you have any questions about criminal charges, call our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

In order to set a bond, set conditions of release, or outright release someone who has been arrested in Florida, there are many things that will be looked at by the judge. The Court will consider the facts and details of the crime charged, the amount of evidence against the accused, the penalty that could be imposed, the accused's family ties to Jacksonville, Florida, how long the accused has lived in Jacksonville, the accused's past and present employment, the accused's financial ability, their mental condition, and the accused's past criminal conduct. If the person arrested has family and friends that can testify at a bond hearing, their chances of being released will increase.

In Jacksonville and all of Florida, if you are arrested, you are entitled to pretrial release on reasonable conditions. Bonds are set to protect the community from harm, to assure your presence at future court dates, and to assure the integrity of the judiciary process. The judge has many options. The judge can do any of the following or a combination:

1. You can be released on your on your own recognizance, which means you do not have to
pay a bond to get out of jail.

2. There may be an unsecured appearance bond in an amount set by the judge. The
Court sets an amount of bail, but does not require a case deposit or pledge of property.

3. Your travel, associations, or residence may be restricted during your case.

4. You could be placed in the custody of another organization to supervise you until the end
of your case.

5. You may have to pay a bail bond with sureties or pay a cash bond. If you can afford the
whole amount of bond, you can deposit the cash amount with the Court and at the
completion of your case, all of the money will be returned to you. You can also elect to
use a bail bondsman and typically pay 10% of the bond while posting collateral for the rest
of the bond. At the completion of your case, the bondsman keeps the 10% and returns
whatever collateral was used to assure your presence in Court.

A Florida judge may also impose any other condition he or she deems reasonably necessary to assure your appearance in Court.

If you have any questions about bond reductions, please contact our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Bond Reduction Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.