Possible Bail Conditions
When bail is set during a bail hearing conditions can also be imposed on the individual concerned. These conditions may depend on your previous convictions, the severity of the offence as well as if your lawyer is asking for the bail amount to be reduced.
Possible bail conditions include:
Ban on Firearms
One of the most common conditions of bail that are set is the ban on firearms. This will be set even when the offence an individual has been charged with does not involve weapons. A ban on firearms means that you cannot only not obtain or use weapons but you must give up any that you already own.
Mandated Therapy / Classes
In some cases where the judge believes it will be beneficial bail conditions can include therapy sessions. These are what are known as mandated therapy sessions which means the court official orders the individual to do them. Therapy sessions can include drug rehabilitation, psychiatric appointments, and behavior management.
Limited Travel
Another common condition of bail is that the individual will not travel during this time. Usually, this means that they will be banned from travelling beyond the restrictions of the court - so out of the county. The idea behind this is that restricting travel makes it harder for the individual on bail to abscond and miss their court dates.
Occasionally judges can grant an exception to the travel ban rule if an individual family member is located outside of their jurisdiction and is dying.
Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor (SCRAM)
SCRAMs or Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitors are also often conditions of bail especially when the offense in question was committed under the influence. SCRAM trackers measure alcohol levels in the blood and transmit this information to a centralised control centre where it is put on file. The idea behind SCRAM monitors is to scrutinise a person’s alcohol consumption to be used as evidence in court.
Conditions of No-Contact
Often when there is a victim involved in a crime, a bail condition of no-contact will be set. This means that the accused will not be able to contact the victim protecting them from harassment and additional harm. No contact orders are frequently invoked in domestic violence and stalking cases.
Electric Monitoring
Electric monitoring tags worn around the ankle may be set as a condition of bail, especially when the individual involved is being held under house arrest. These tags contain GPS trackers and notify the police if the defendant is not where they should be. Repeated violations can result in being taken back to jail.
Working
The idea behind this bail condition is to encourage the individual to become economically stable so they do not have to resort to crime. Working conditions may include sticking at a particular job, or looking for a job if the individual is currently out of work.
Regular Check-Ins
Lastly, most bail agreements come with the condition that the individual involved will check in with an officer. This is so their activities and movements can be monitored ahead of their court date.
Tips On Sticking To Your Bail Conditions
Make Sure You Understand The Bail Conditions
It's very important that you fully understand the conditions of your bail. Otherwise, you will not be able to keep to them. If you do not understand the conditions you can ask your court or your lawyer for help and to explain them to you. The court has a duty of care to many any conditions easy to understand.
Find Out Whether There Are Any Exceptions To Your Bail Conditions
Sometimes there may be exceptions to the conditions of your bail. This means you may be able to break specific conditions of your bail without incurring any penalties. However, you must be very clear on what these exceptions are and what they relate to before you act on this.
Court Orders Vs Bail Conditions
Believe it or not, sometimes bail conditions will directly or indirectly come into conflict with other court orders you have received. An example of this is that you may have an agreement to visit your children in place. But if the condition of your bail is that you cannot contact your spouse and the children living with them you will not be able to visit them because this contravenes your bail conditions.
Unfortunately, this can put you in a bad position where you are damned if you do, and damned if you don’t, and risk being sent back to jail.
The solution here is to contact your lawyer ASAP and ask them to clarify them with the court. The aim here is to find out which of the two over rides the other. That is what you should adhere to to prevent you from being sent back to jail.
What Are The Consequences Of Not Keeping My Bail Conditions?
This is where bounty hunters come in. Yes, that’s right if you don’t keep to the conditions of your bond, the judge can issue a bench warrant for your re-arrest. This means that not only law enforcement will be made aware of your warrant status and can bring you in, but a professional bounty hunter may be employed by your bondsman to get you and bring you back to jail.
Mr. Nice Guy Bail Bonds Can Support You In Sticking To Your Bail Conditions
If you want to avoid the consequences of not meeting your bail conditions such as being taken back to jail by a bounty hunter, then work with an experienced bail agency like Mr Nice Guy Bail Bonds that can explain and break down all the requirements for you.
Remember: Mr Nice Guy Bail Bonds are there to support you throughout the process of being released on bail with conditions, and our expert and empathetic team can help you meet all legal requirements set out by your bond.