DUI Bail
For those who have never been to jail let alone been arrested, it can be a very stressful process full of unknowns. One of the many questions people ask relates to bail and how it is determined. Hopefully the information you find here will help put you at ease regarding the bail process. Once you are arrested for DUI, the police will bring you to the station for booking. This involves fingerprinting you, searching you and photographing you. They will enter your information into their system and confiscate your personal property until you can be released. When they allow you to make a phone call, make sure you call an attorney. It’s good to have an attorney present during the bail process.
Bail is simply a set amount of money you must pay in order to be released from police custody. If you are released on bail, you are also agreeing to appear in court when required. To make the process of bail a little easier, some states have set up bail schedules—set amounts of money that relate to the alleged crime committed.
If there isn’t a bail schedule predetermined in your state, then a judge must decide your bail amount. Factors they may consider can include your criminal record, if you have had any prior DUI convictions and the seriousness of your crime (if someone was seriously hurt or killed in an accident).
Depending on the bail amount, you and your family may not be able to afford to post bail. This is where a bail bondsmen or bail agency can step in. In addition to posting bail for you, you will be charged a fee and they may require collateral. This will be a written contract between you and the agency or bondsmen and it will state that the entire bail amount must be paid if you fail to appear in court.
There is a chance that you won’t need to post bail in order to be released from police custody. This is known as being released on your own recognizance. As per your agreement, you will again be required to appear in court when requested.
