What You Need to Know About Bail
If you were arrested in Minnesota and taken into police custody, you may sit in jail for a period of hours or days depending on the nature of your alleged criminal offense. Luckily, you have an opportunity for a pretrial release: Bail. Bail is a cash payment or bond that a defendant pays to the court to secure a conditional release from custody.
Minnesota residents have a constitutional right to pretrial release under certain conditions.
At your arraignment hearing, a judge will utilize a bail schedule to determine the bail amount. Bail is typically set high enough to encourage you to return to court, but not too high or else it may violate your 8th Amendment rights and the federal Bail Reform Act. If you fail to appear in court, you will forfeit your bail money, which is why judges work to ensure the bail amount is not too low.
Along with a bail schedule, a judge will examine several factors to determine your bail amount, such as:
- The type and severity of your charge
- Your criminal record, if applicable
- Whether you pose a flight risk
- Your level of threat to public safety
- Your employment and financial standing
- Your role and relationships in your community
Pretrial Release Laws in MN
When a court determines whether you will be released on personal recognizance, meaning no bail is posted, or an unsecured appearance bond, the court will impose one or more of the following conditions for your pretrial release:
- Place you under the supervision of a person who, or organization that, agrees to supervise
- Place restrictions on travel association, or residence during release
- Require an appearance bond, cash deposit or other security
- Impose other conditions necessary to assure appearance as ordered
A Minneapolis Lawyer Can Negotiate Your Bail
From the moment your loved one is arrested, you must act quickly. You may only have a few hours to retain a lawyer who will represent them at their arraignment, where a judge will determine bail. With our Minneapolis criminal defense attorney in their corner, you can rest assured that we will tactfully negotiate bail and its conditions to help secure the pretrial release your loved one deserves.
We will fight for a reduced or dismissed bail by employing arguments concerning:
- Your criminal history
- Your ability to appear in court
- Your dependable employment status
- Your strong mental health
- Your lack of threat to the community and public safety
Don’t let another hour go by without contacting our award-winning criminal defense lawyers at Brockton D Hunter, P.A. Call (612) 979-1112 to schedule a free consultation. You are not alone.