Uniform Bond Schedules for Tampa & Pinellas
The Amount of Bail Bond Depends On Circumstances of Each Case
Under the Criminal Procedure Rules, Statutes of Florida and the Constitutio
ns of the United States and Florida, anyone who is arrested has the right to have a reasonable bond set in their case. A bond is a deposit of money or in some cases a written promise to forfeit real property (land or home) which is held by the Sheriff’s Office until the case is completed in order to insure that the arrested person will appear back in court for future hearings on the case and that there will be no further violations of the law while on release. In many cases involving minor charges where the arrested individual has a local residence and otherwise has employment, family or other significant ties to the community, a low bond or even a release upon recognizance – no bond required (ROR) will be set by the arresting officer or the jail booking desk. In other cases involving more serious crimes the bond will be set at an amount which is supposed to reflect the seriousness of the crime charged and the past criminal history of the arrested person, as well as any other factors which might indicate a likelihood that the person may not appear in court in the future, or might pose a danger to the community if out on release. In some cases where the charged offense is very serious, involves violence or harm to others or if the arrested person has a bad prior criminal record, no bond will be set on the case. In those cases the arrested person will have to remain in jail unless a judge agrees to set a bond at a bond hearing held later. Persons who are already on felony probation, pre-trial release on bond or ROR on another case or who have previously been found to be Habitual Offenders will generally not be given a bond upon arrest and will have to remain in custody until a judge agrees to set a bond following a hearing.
The Bond Amount Can Be Posted By An Arrested Person or Their Family or Friends
If a bond is set in an arrested case the arrested person may get out of jail by depositing the amount of the bond with the jail personnel. The amount of bond money which is held by the Sheriff’s Office will be released at the end of the case, or in the event that a judge reduces the bond amount while the case is pending. However, it is important to know that the Clerk of Court will deduct any amounts which are owed for fines, court costs, restitution or jail inmate fees from the bond amount before refunding it.
It May Be Preferable To Engage a Bail Bondsman To Post A Surety Bond
In many cases, where the bond amount is too large for an arrested person or their family to raise, or to avoid having the Clerk of Court deduct fines and costs from amounts posted by friends or family, it is preferable to engage the services of a Bail Bondman to post a surety bond in the case. Typically a bail bondsman will charge 10% of the bond amount in order to post the surety bond. This is the Bail Bondsman’s fee for their service and is non-refundable. Sometimes the Bail Bondsman will require that collateral on a home, land or vehicles be arranged in the event that the arrested person flees. The arrangement with a bail bondsman is subject to negotiation as with any business contract. Once someone is released from jail on a pending criminal charge they generally must follow the directions of the bail bondsman regarding travel and reporting in. Bail bondsman may decide to come off of the bond whenever they feel that the arrested person is a risk of violating the conditions of bail and they have authority under the law to detain the person they have bonded out and deliver them back to the jail. Bail bondsmen must be licensed and bonded and there are many bail bondsmen in the Tampa Bay area who can be easily located near the jails or in the telephone book or on the internet.
Courts Use Uniform Bond Schedules To Provide Guidance For Bond Amounts In Cases
In the Tampa Bay area the courts have set uniform bail bond schedule which gives guidance to arresting officers and jail booking personnel as to the amount of bond which the judges would like to see in various types of charges and circumstances. The latest uniform bail bond schedules for Hillsborough (Tampa) and for Pinellas (St. Petersburg, Largo, Clearwater) can be seen by clicking the links below:
Hillsborough Uniform Bond Schedule
Pinellas Uniform Bond Schedule
How An Attorney Can Help When The Bond Is Too High
In cases involving more serious charges or where the arrested person has a prior criminal history or was already on probation when the arrest occurred hiring an experienced criminal attorney can be a benefit. Everyone who is arrested and held in jail on criminal charges will be brought before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest at an Advisory Hearing. One of the issues the judge will consider at an Advisory Hearing is whether an ROR release or a lower bond amount is appropriate for the case. An experienced criminal attorney will be able to assist the accused individual and their family, friends, employers or ministers to best prepare an appropriate and effective presentation to the court to ask for a bond reduction. Even if the judge refuses to lower the bond at the first Advisory Hearing, everyone has the right to have a Bond Hearing before a judge at a later time in order to present reasons to the court why the arrested person would not be a flight risk or risk to the community if released from jail. In some cases, if a reduction of a bond amount is granted, significant money can be saved from the amount which would otherwise be payed to a bail bondsman. As always, the sooner that an experienced criminal attorney is retained to begin working to investigate and defend criminal charges the better. The early stages following an arrest for criminal charges are often the most crucial time to have an attorney speak to police and prosecutors on behalf of the accused in order to persuade them to drop or reduce the charges.
The Law Office of Garry Potts is ready and able to represent clients throughout the Tampa Bay area in addressing bail bond matters. With over 23 years of experience as an attorney in the Tampa Bay area and as a former prosecutor for 15 years, Garry Potts has the experience to work with clients charged with crimes in dealing with the police, prosecutors and the criminal justice system. You can speak with Mr. Potts regarding a case by calling (727) 538-4166 or through email by clicking here.
