What Is A Bond Hearing & Who Should Attend?

If you or a loved one has ever been arrested, you know that getting out of jail is the most important thing in the world.  That’s why it’s important to hire a lawyer quickly and have the lawyer schedule a bond hearing, which is a hearing where a Judge will decide whether or not you should be released pending trial.

If you get arrested, you will first appear before a Magistrate.  Usually, the Magistrate will grant a bond and you can be released from the jail.  But if the Magistrate decides to not grant bond, you will remain in the jail. And if you don’t do anything else, you will remain in jail until their trial date.

Yikes!

Your next appearance will be in front of a Judge, who will advise you of the charges against you and ask you what you intend to do about a lawyer – you can hire your own, or you can see if you qualify for the services of the public defender.  This all takes time, so the sooner you contact a lawyer the better, because your lawyer can schedule a bond hearing for you. And the sooner you have a lawyer, the sooner you’ll have a bond hearing.

At the bond hearing, a Judge will decide whether or not to grant you a bond.  In making this decision, the Judge will consider two main things: (1) whether or not you are a danger to the community, and (2) whether or not you are a flight risk.  So your lawyer’s job is to convince the Judge that if you are released, you will not pose a danger to the community and that you will return for your trial.

In order to do this, your lawyer will want to show the Judge that you have strong ties to the community such as family, friends, employment, and a place to live.  And those are the people who should attend the hearing, if possible. If they can’t attend, your lawyer should try to get a letter from them.

If you get arrested, contact a lawyer as quickly as you can!  Time is of the essence. Give Gardner & Mendoza, P.C. a call today at (757) 464-9224 or contact us online for a FREE consultation!

Related Topics: What is a Bond?

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