Did you know that in North Carolina, there are approximately 128,000 different individuals booked into local jails each year for common crimes?
Many people detained for a crime use bail for release until they wait for their trial. A bail is a sum of money or property handed to the court to assure that the defendant will appear at their trial in court on the specified day.
The cost of bail will vary depending on several criteria, including the offender, the jurisdiction, and the offense committed. The higher the bail, the more probable the accused is a flight risk. In other words, meaning they will flee rather than face trial.
If you or somebody you know has been detained for a common crime, you may be curious about the amount of bond needed. But, first, find out how much bail costs on average for common criminal offenses.
How Is a Bail Amount Determined for Common Crimes?
After arrest, you have the legal right to release through a bail bond at a reasonable price. The Eighth Amendment to the US Constitution protects people from excessive bail.
The objective of bail is to ensure the defendant’s attendance at their trial and safeguard the general public from harm instead of punishing the offender for a suspected crime.
How Do Bail Bonds Work?
To better understand how bail bonds work, you must first grasp the various options available for jail release and the procedure itself.
When you’re arrested, law enforcement takes you to the nearest county jail for processing. Several procedures take place before being released from prison on bail:
- You have to give your personal information
- You will have your photo taken
- Your personal property will be taken, and a uniform supplied
- You will have your fingerprints taken
- You will have a full-body search
- Police will check for any outstanding warrants
- Police will do a general health check
- And finally, police will put you in a holding cell to await trial or bail hearing
The court schedules a hearing in front of a judge within 24 hours of the arrest. You can also wait until your ‘initial appearance’ with the court to consider possible bond reductions if you cannot pay the full bail sum at that time.
You have a few options if you need to get out of jail quickly. The most common choice is to hire a bail bond agent and begin the bail bond process. Once you have the bail bond amount, you can post the bond at the local jail by you or a bail bonds agent.
Using the services of a bail bondsman generally requires collateral and a co-signer on the bail bond.
Bail Costs For Common Offenses
The Judge ultimately decides whether or not the suspect can be released on bail and how much the bail should be. The judges base their decision on a variety of factors, including the following:
- The seriousness of the crime
- Keeping the risk to the public to a bare minimum
- The accused’s probability of committing additional offenses until their next hearing
While numerous factors influence the bail price, the following are the estimates for bail cost by crime. Remember, however, that there are variances in the actual bail bond amount set because each jurisdiction determines bail amounts.
Bail For Restraining Order Breaches
In the case of a restraining order breach, bail might be set at anything between $15,000 and $150,000. This amount is depending on when the violation occurred and your criminal history.
Breaking Immigration Laws
An immigration bail bond falls under a government bond that you might need to post if you are taken into custody and arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau.
If ICE takes an immigrant into custody or detains them at the border, they can secure release if they post a cash bond. Bail for this offense is an average of $1,500 and $250,000. Unfortunately, many people cannot pay this amount, so a bail bond service can be beneficial.
Charges of Possession of Drugs
The seriousness of drug possession charges varies greatly. It’s therefore hard to determine an average bond amount. The Judge decides and sets the amount of bail by:
- The number of drugs you have in your possession
- The sort of drugs you have in your possession
- Your intent of using the drugs, whether for personal use, manufacture, or distribution
- Whether you have any prior charges
The typical fine for a first-time offense is approximately $2,500. Bail is then set from between $500,000 and $5,000,000 for more significant amounts of drugs with the intent to distribute.
Drinking and Driving
The cost of bail for first-time offenders can range between $500 and $2,500. Second-time perpetrators can expect a bail of up to $10,000. Second-time perpetrators can expect a bail of up to $10,000.
Following four charges, the charge becomes a felony crime. After that, bail can be set upwards of $50,000. In some cases, depending on whether it involves gross negligence, the amount can rise to as much as $100,000!
Burglary or Robbery
Robbery charges depend on the gravity of the crime. There are two grades of robbery charges. First- and second-degree robbery.
First-degree robbery is the more severe offense. Both crimes fall under felony acts.
Bail for second-degree robbery can be $25,000 to $50,000. First-degree robbery can reach $100,000.
However, there is a minimum bail:
- If you use a firearm or force is used on another person, a minimum bail of $50,000 applies
- If the accused has a previous felony conviction, a minimum bail of $100,000 is set
Auto theft can result in an increase of bail to $100,000. All of these bail amounts are subject to increase based on the monetary value of the stolen goods.
Time to Act, Get Help With Bail!
Imagine being arrested with your hands behind your back and cuffed. Then you ride in a police cruiser to be processed for a crime. This is a life-altering experience.
When the jail bars shut behind you, you will worry about how quickly you can get out.
If you find yourself or a loved one in this position being charged with any common crimes, don’t hesitate to contact us! We are a reputable and reasonably priced bail bond service in Mecklenburg County. Charlotte Bail Bonds goes above and beyond to get clients or a client’s loved one out of jail. You can rely on our team to gain a release!
