If someone you know is arrested in Palatka or Putnam County they will go in front of a judge within 24 hours. This is called a first appearance. The purpose of first appearance is to decide if the state has probable cause and set conditions of release. This is also commonly referred to as setting a bond. On serious criminal cases the bond amount can be a large amount of money. A Palatka bond hearing attorney can go to the first appearance and fight for your friend or family member to reduce the bond amount. Everyone is entitled to an attorney at first appearance but the nature of first appearance makes it difficult for an appointed attorney to advocate for your loved one. Hiring a bond hearing attorney helps because the private attorney can take the time to learn about the accused and use that information at the hearing. Contact our Palatka criminal defense attorney if someone you know has been arrested in Putnam County. Our Putnam County bond hearing attorney can fight for favorable conditions of release. Factors to be considered include:
- Family history:
- Ties to the community
- Prior convictions (or lack of prior history);
- Prior failures to appear in court (or lack of);
- Risk of fleeing to avoid prosecution;
- Financial resources;
- Character;
- Mental condition;
- Any other facts that may assist the court in setting or reducing the bond.
To find out more about bonding someone out of jail go to Florida bail bondsman. The accused has two options to get out of jail if they are given a bond. The first is to post a cash bond that requires someone to pay the entire bond amount. The second is to use a bail bondsman that requires someone to pay the greater of $100 per charge or 10%. The bondsman will tie up less money on the front end of the case. This can be a good idea when preparing to hire a criminal defense attorney to fight the charges against your loved one.