Depending on the alleged crime, a person who has been arrested and sent to jail to wait for a hearing may be allowed to post bail. For this, they would need to pay a set amount bond. Once settled, it allows a person accused of a crime a conditional release from jail, with the promise that they will appear in court for judicial hearings.
But before one can post, the amount and conditions first need to be set by the judge, which typically happens when the person has been charged. In the usual order of events when a person is arrested and before they are prosecuted, the option to get them out is not yet available.
The result is that the person accused of the crime would have to spend a night or two in jail before they can post bail — but not if they have an experienced and well-connected lawyer to back them up.
How a Lawyer Can Help Get Bail Set
A lawyer may be able to help get bail set by the judge early. But it all comes down to relationships — the lawyer must know who to talk to, how to make the request, and has some good standing with the prosecutors and courts.
With these connections, they can make arrangements and negotiate with the prosecution to speed up the process of charging their clients so that this option can become available to them as soon as possible.
Benefits of Having a Lawyer With Connections
The lawyer’s efforts may not always yield the intended results. Still, working with a well-connected lawyer has its perks.
Get Bail Set Early
An experienced lawyer who knows his way around the judicial process and has relationships with people in the prosecutor’s office may be able to get bail set early. Maybe the prosecutor assigned to the case is an old pal or someone they’ve worked with in the past.
This makes it easy for them to call them up, negotiate an early charge, and get the process going in order to make this available to their client.
Reduce Bail Amount
A lawyer with a good relationship with the prosecutors can not only get bail set early but can also negotiate a lower amount. In a previous case handled by our office, we were able to reduce the bail amount for a DWI case from $12,000 to $3,000, which heavily benefitted the accused and his family.
It’s important to remember, though, that every case is unique. No lawyer can guarantee that they can get bail set early all the time. However, those with enough experience and relationships in the judicial system may be able to increase the odds of an early bail so that the accused can be released from jail as soon as possible and move forward with their lives.