Here we are again, folks. Part II: Prison Boogaloo, if you haven’t already, be sure to check out Part I of this Blog. We’re going to continue with our list of the factors that determine bail amount. Last time, we talked about the nature of the offense and the circumstances surrounding it. We also talked about how the penalty for the offense plays into the determination of the bail amount. We talked about how the courts take into consideration the roots that the defendant has established, such as family and community ties, employment history, and length of residency. So, here we go, part II:
"No your honor, my neighbors love me, I swear!"
More Considerations for Salt Lake City Bail Amounts
Reputation Within the Community
A good reputation can take you far in life. Conversely, a bad reputation will take you nowhere. In this case, a bad reputation will ensure that you go nowhere (Get it? Because they’re in jail? See what I did there?). Courts use this information to determine the reliability of the defendant and if he’s shown any tendencies that would make him more likely to reoffend.
History of Mental Illness
Mental illness is an important consideration in determining the bail amount. If a defendant has a history of mental illness that would make him a danger to himself or others, they are more likely to be held either without bail or with a higher bail. If bail is denied, these defendants will typically be held at a mental hospital rather than a jail until it is determined whether or not they are fit to stand trial.
Substance Abuse History
This plays an important role in setting a bail amount, someone with a recent history of substance abuse will likely have higher bail amount. This is because drug addicts and alcoholics tend to be erratic and forgetful. Not to mention, the point of bail is that it allows you to continue leading a productive life while awaiting trial.
Criminal Record
As mentioned before, bail is in place to allow defendants to continue living productive lives while awaiting trial. Depending on the criminal record of a defendant, it could be determined that they are a risk to reoffend while awaiting trial. There is also the concern that these people have shown a disregard for the law before so it would not be a jump for them to flee
Previous Failures to Appear
“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” If a defendant has a history of jumping bail, courts will be a whole lot less likely to trust that the person will appear at this court date. These people will face a situation where they’re held without bail or the courts will make the bail very happy so that it is unlikely they will be able to post it.
Evidence of Flight Risk
Courts will look for evidence that the defendant is planning to flee from prosecution. They will look for things such as recently purchased plane tickets, supplies and any out of the ordinary spending. This is often hard to determine but courts will try to investigate the likelihood of the defendant fleeing.
To Be Continued… Again!
We’re almost done, check back soon for the conclusion.
Larry Nowak is the President of Bad Boys Bail Bonds in Salt Lake City, UT. He works hard to ensure that nobody spends more time in jail than they have to, no matter what the bail amount is. For more information or to request bail, please visit https://badboysbailbondsutah.com/bonds/.
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