Being released on bail with conditions

In many cases, defendants will have a set of conditions to follow once they’re released on bail.

Bailing out typically involves either paying the full bail amount in cash, or a combination of putting up collateral and paying in cash in the case of bail bonds in Pike County.

What is the purpose of bail conditions?

Bail conditions are typically issued to ensure that the defendant shows up to his or her court date after being released. In some cases, bail conditions are issued solely to protect the rest of the community from the defendant’s actions. The specific bail conditions can vary from defendant to defendant, and are to be decided by the judge of that case. Most commonly, bail conditions include a combination of the following:

• Complying with travel restrictions (depending on the case, this could include geographical restrictions or instituting a curfew)
• Avoiding certain environments or people
• Avoiding use of drugs and/or alcohol
• Taking drug and/or alcohol tests
• Not possessing any weapons, legal or illegal
• Obeying all laws of the defendant’s community

When deciding bail conditions, the judge will consider many factors, including the defendant’s physical and mental condition/stability, the likelihood that the defendant will commit another crime, criminal history, and any history of criminally recorded substance abuse.

Usually, bail conditions are related to the crime. For example, if the defendant was arrested for driving under the influence, they might be required to perform routine drug testing as one of the bail conditions. The defendant might also be monitored much more closely than others.

When bail conditions are invalid

Bail conditions are required by law to be valid, or not interfere with the defendant’s constitutional rights. For example, if someone were arrested for drinking and driving, it’s highly unlikely that one of the bail conditions would involve a thorough search of the defendant’s home. This would be an invalid condition.

Are you in need of bail bonds in Pike County? Submit that form on the right to get started!