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Top 5 Factors that Influence Bail Amount

13 December 2019

I f you or someone you love has been arrested and charged with a crime, posting bail is essential. For an offending individual, a bail enables him to remain free until the scheduled appearance in court. Once the bail bond is posted, the individual will be immediately released from jail to resume normal life with little to no disruption to employment and family life.

A judge determines the amount of bai l for a defendant ’s case based on a variety of factors and key points. The judge may raise or lower the bail amount by looking at all these factors. Here are some of them:


1. Bail Schedules

Denton County adheres to a standard bail schedule, which allows a defendant to post a bail bond with the police even before the scheduled bail hearing or an arraignment. A bail schedule refers to a list that provides a specific bail amount based on the offense an individual is charged with.

It is ideally best to pay the exact bail schedule, as paying less will not result in release. If a defendant pay s less than the set bail, he is required to go before a judge for arraignment.


2. Criminal Record

A defendant with a lengthy criminal record typically faces higher bail amounts. If the past criminal offenses indicate serious crimes or a substantial amount of previous charges, a bail amount will be set higher. Offending individuals with outstanding warrants are usually denied posting bail as a way to keep them in custody to face other existing charges.


3. Ties to the community

A defendant is less likely to flee and escape trial if they have family members living in Denton County . Offending individuals who have invested in the community are lesser risks to flee and commit more crimes. Strong ties to the community may also mean a more lenient bail amount.

4. Probability of showing up for court appearances

Defendants who have previous records of missing court hearings will be assessed with higher bail requirements. In some cases, posting bail is denied by the court altogether.


5. Flight risk

Flight risk is one of the significant factors that a judge considers during bail amount determination. A judge will look at a myriad of factors when evaluating a charged individual’s flight risk, including a history of previous court attendance, current living arrangements, financial capacity, employment, and citizenship.

An offending individual with a poor court attendance record and easy access to ample funds are more likely to be slapped with a higher bail amount. Also, an individual who is a passport holder or a citizen of another country has little to no ties to a community, and with an unsteady source of income should expect a higher bail bond amount due to higher flight assessment.

According to reports, up to 40 percent of people arrested in Texas stay in jail because they do not have the financial capacity to post bail. If you or your loved one cannot afford to pay the bail amount, we are here to assist you! At Cagle Bail Bonds , we offer fast and discreet bail bond services in Denton County. To learn more about our bail bond services, contact us today!

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