Jacksonville Criminal Attorney Blog

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.

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.