- Blood Alcohol Content
- Zero Tolerance Laws
- Ignition Interlock Device
- DUI Bond and Booking
- DUI Arraignment
- DUI Trial
- DUI Plea Bargains
- No Contest Plea
- DUI Expungement
DUI Bond and Booking
Booking
When a driver is arrested for driving under the influence (DUI), the next step is being ‘booked’ at the law enforcement detention center. The defendant is searched, photographed, and fingerprinted. An officer may question the driver about the circumstances surrounding the incident. Personal information is recorded and the person’s criminal record is searched. At this time all personal effects, which means anything that you were carrying at the time of arrest, are confiscated and recorded. Legal items will be returned upon release. The defendant is then placed in a holding cell, usually with other people who have been arrested.
Bail
The defendant is usually released in a short amount of time by posting bail, ‘bonding out,’ or being ‘released on your own recognizance.’ This means you are believed to be a responsible citizen and will attend scheduled court appearances. You sign a statement that you will not leave the area, and you might be required to stay in contact with court officials regularly until your scheduled hearings. If you fail to make your court appearance after being released on your own recognizance, a warrant is issued for your arrest.
The amount of bail set is determined by your criminal history, the seriousness of the offense, and whether you are a confirmed member of the community in which you were arrested. Bail can be refused if you are considered a flight risk.
A family member, friend or bail bondsman pays 10 percent of a court-determined amount to have you released and essentially promises that you will report to court for scheduled proceedings: your arraignment and any other scheduled hearings such as the preliminary hearing, pre-trial motions, and the trial.
A bail bondsman pays 10 percent of the bond amount for your release and you sign a ‘bond’ promising to attend your court appearances. If you do not make your scheduled appearance, your friend, family member, or the bondsman must pay the full amount of your bond to the court and a warrant is issued for your arrest. In your bail was paid by a bail bonds company, their employees, often called ‘bounty hunters,’ attempt to find and arrest you. They would present you to the jail for holding until your trial, and their investment with the court would be returned to them.