BOND HEARINGS
After you are arrested, you should see a First Appearance judge within 24 hours of your arrest. In the State of Florida, every individual arrested is generally entitled to a reasonable bond to ensure their release. A bond is usually predetermined for each crime, based on the counties local bond schedule. However, in many cases, the bond set by the First Appearance judge is much higher than what an individual or their family can afford. Once the First Appearance judge sets a bond, an attorney can move the court to modify and lower the bond amount initially set by the First Appearance judge.
At the Law Office of Bhavik Patel, if the First Appearance judge sets an unaffordable bond, we will work hard to schedule a bond hearing to get that bond lowered so you can resume your life out of custody. Generally, we can file a bond hearing motion and set a bond hearing within a week. During that bond hearing, we can argue to the judge that the client is not a flight risk, has strong ties to the community, has never failed to appear for previous court dates, has very few prior criminal arrests, and any other mitigating circumstances to ensure the client’s release from custody.
Once a bond is set, you can either post the bond in cash or use a bail bondsman to post the entire bond.
Here are some common bond terms used by First Appearance Judges:
1. ROR (Realized on your own recognizance) – This means that you are released with no conditions except that you cannot commit any new law violations while your current case is pending. This is usually given to individuals who have no prior record and are not a repeat to commit a new law offense.
2. PTR (Pre-Trial Release) – This means that you are released and that you have to check in once a month with the pre-trial release program at the jail. This type of bond is given to individuals who have one or two prior cases or those who have been accused of domestic violence.
3. Bond with Bond Schedule – This means that you have a bond and that it is set with the local bond schedule. If you cannot pay the bond amount, an attorney can file a motion to lower the bond amount so you can get out of jail while your case proceeds through the legal system.
4. No Bond – This means that the First Appearance judge has decided that you do not have a bond and you will likely sit in jail until your case is resolved. An attorney can always ask the court to modify or set a bond in these cases.