How To Find A Bail Amount

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Tracking down a bail amount for yourself, a friend or a family member can be difficult if you are not sure where to look. This guide will show you several possible ways to find it. Keep in mind that different counties and states have different procedures for communicating bail amounts.

When Is Bail Set?

As a rule, bail is set when a person is arrested. That bail amount stands at least until the arraignment, which is the first hearing in the case. This provides an opportunity to bail the person out of jail. In large cities, a person may have to wait several days before seeing a judge for an arraignment. However, the arrested individual still has ways to find the bail amount. For example, people who are arrested in Los Angeles are given a piece of paper with their charges, bail amount and arrest number after being arrested and booked. This allows the inmate to call a friend or family member and communicate their reference number and bail amount if they do not want to spend a few days in jail waiting to see a judge.

Ways To Find A Bail Amount

You can take the first step in two different ways. If you prefer to make phone calls, contact the jailer at the jail facility where an inmate is located. You can call several local jails if you are unsure about the facility location of the inmate. You will need to obtain the person’s inmate number or case number. Also, you can try to look up the information online. Search for the local sheriff’s department or county jail site. If they have an online tool for looking up an inmate based on last name and birthdate, you can usually find the case number this way. The bail amount may also be listed with the information. If this is the case, you can skip calling the courthouse.

Next, contact the courthouse. Again, you may be able to access the court information online instead of calling. This is helpful if you need the information when the courthouse is closed. If you prefer to call or if the courthouse does not post much information online, contact the clerk’s office. The clerk will ask for several bits of information such as the inmate’s name, birthdate, case number and several other details. If the clerk does not provide the bail information, he or she will refer you to the right department.

If your goal is to bail someone out of jail immediately, you can skip the previous steps. By contacting a bail agent instead, it is easier to find the information. The bail agent usually obtains this after asking for a few personal details about the inmate. If the individual needs an attorney or there is a family attorney on retainer, try contacting the attorney. Lawyers often set up bail arrangements and can find the bail amount quickly.

When To Wait

If the bail amount is too high for an affordable bond and the person has not been arraigned yet, you can wait until after the arraignment to post bail. The judge may reduce the bail amount during the arraignment if a bail reduction is requested. Also, an inmate can ask for a bail hearing after an arraignment to request a bail reduction.

What to Do When You Get Pulled Over

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If you spend enough time driving on the roads, you will most likely get pulled over. Whether it is for speeding, making an illegal u turn, having a tail light go out or any other reason, it is very important to remain calm and follow this procedure so a simple traffic stop does not escalate into something a lot more serious.

 

When You First See the Police Car

 

Pull over safely and quickly. Make sure to use your turn signals and pull over as far to the right of the shoulder as possible (if on the highway). Some police officers may be extremely high strung so it is important to show that you will be complying with them even before you actually meet them at your car window.

 

When the Police Officer is at Your Car

 

For many police officers even a simple traffic stop can end up in a life threatening situation. It is very important to show the police officer that you will not be a potential aggressor. Roll down your window and place your hands on the steering wheel. Always be polite and non confrontational, there is a lot to lose and not very much to gain for being rude to a police officer. When the officer asks to see identification or insurance documents, inform him where those documents are before you reach for them. Some police officers can see a sudden reach into a glove compartment as an aggressive move.

 

Unless Asked to Step Out, Stay in Your Car

 

Stay in your car during the duration of the traffic stop unless otherwise directed by the police officer. Getting out of your car during a traffic stop can lead to an unpleasant situation for you and could possibly lead to your arrest.

 

Following these procedures will ensure that your traffic stop goes as smoothly as possible and will stop you from running into legal trouble beyond the original cause of the traffic stop.

 

How to Get Your Record Expunged

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People make mistakes. Having a permanent record can deter you from obtaining employment, moving into certain homes, or more. Expunging your record means to erase or remove that record permanently. This would mean that you never have to reveal that that record ever existed. Different states are going to have different rules regarding having charges expunged.

Expunging your record is not difficult if you are eligible, and if you know the proper steps. In an effort to contact your state to determine if a charge can be expunged, some research is necessary. All of the details for the record are needed to attempt to have it removed. You must know the date of arrest, case number, arresting agency, fill out, print, and mail to the expunging authority. charges, disposition, and ending date of case. Most of this information can be found on a background check if it is not readily available. Contact the state to determine what forms you will need to submit with them. Often, forms are available online to

Consider other options such as sealing or pardoning. If expunging is not a viable option, maybe consider sealing the charges. Expunging a record is different than sealing a record, as sealing means related documentation may just be sealed from the public eye. This does not erase the record completely, nor any of the sealed details. It simply means not everyone can publicly view the sealed details. Forms are typically available on the states’ websites, though petitioning the court directly is also an option. Some states allow pardons for certain crimes. However, this is very rare. Some states have applications for pardons online. Similar to pardons, some states also have applications for certificates of innocence or rehabilitation. Although pardons and expunges attempt to serve the same purpose, expunges are less difficult to obtain.

An expungement is typically only available for certain individuals. Those with a single drug offense can typically qualify. Sentencing may require completion of rehabilitation prior to having the record expunged. First time offenders with no offenses after a year are strong candidates. Expungement is also considered for juveniles or first-time offenders, or those not being charged with felonies.

It is helpful to have a great defense attorney assist with working out expungement within the initial agreements. Once sentences are met, it could be offered at that time. Hiring a good attorney could help you to know and understand this process completely. That attorney could help you to petition the necessary court according to that jurisdiction.

When considering a future with a record, consider not having that record. People make mistakes. Not every mistake has to label a person for his or her entire future. Expungement is a viable option to have a record completely disappear. Having a knowledgeable attorney who knows the process may help to clear a path to a more successful life. Be sure to research your options and gather all of the necessary information. Expunging a record is not impossible, and could clean up a past.

Things to Know About Civil Asset Forfeiture

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In Civil asset forfeiture, assets from individuals suspected to have engaged in criminal activities. The nature of the crime that may warrant confiscation varies with states but most commonly, assets from drug dealers, terrorists and their sympathizers, corrupt individuals either in government or out of government and even civil criminals. The aim of the controversial legal process is to allow the law enforcement agencies to use the proceeds from such seized to further battle with the criminal activities. Civil asset forfeiture suit is a dispute between the law enforcement institutions against the asset owner as opposed to the criminal procedure that involves two citizens. To get back the confiscated assets, the owner must prove that they are clean and that their assets were not involved in any criminal activity.

 

What necessitates asset forfeiture?

There has been an increase in the siphoning of public resources by corrupt government officials and other institutions that are out to steal public money. The stolen money is usually transferred to other countries leaving the affected countries in economic crisis. This is more common in developing countries. In other developed countries like the U.S, embezzlement of public funds is not as rampant as in the developing countries. However, they are battling organized crimes such as drug barons and the terrorist who are out to cause havoc to innocent civilians. The ill-gotten resources are used by these gangs to finance their activities across the globe hence the need for civil asset forfeiture. Freezing and recovery of these assets has been seen as the only lethal tool to fight their existence since they can survive without them.

 

What happens in civil asset forfeiture?

In Civil Asset Forfeiture, the assets of the suspected individuals should be frozen until the courts exonerate the suspect. This usually happens when they finish their appeals in most states; the law requires that financial institutions automatically freeze any bank transactions of the affected bank account for a certain period. Police are also allowed to confiscate physically the assets and keep them in their custody until such cases are determined. In the U.S, the legal process is more severe as the suspects can be convicted for several major and minor offenses that range from prostitution, tax evasion, corruption, and narcotic charges.

 

Relationship between Civil Asset Forfeiture and bail bonds

In most cases, victims of civil asset forfeiture go scot free without any charges in a court of law. This is because the legal process allows the only confiscation of the suspected assets. However, if one finds themselves in a court, then they can apply for bail bonds that give them the temporary freedom until the case is determined. Bail bond companies come in to pay the bail on behalf of the client so as to secure their release.

 

Controversies

A lot of controversies have surrounded Civil Asset Forfeiture. While most proponents of the system praise it for wiping out criminal activities, its critics think otherwise. The system presumes an individual guilty rather than innocent. The confiscated property usually finds it way in the auction centers where it sold at throw away prices. And again, most of the times the value of the taken property is usually smaller than the cost of the court process.