What Does A Judge Look At When Deciding How Much Bail Should Be Set At?

Posted on

After someone is incarcerated, a judge may make the decision on whether bail will be granted or denied. If bail is granted, that same judge may then determine what bail will be set at. There are different factors that a judge looks at when making their decision. Here are a few of the key factors that are closely looked at when determining whether to grant bail and what amount to set bail at. 

If Someone is a Threat to the Public

One of the factors that is carefully looked at when determining whether bail should be set and how much it should be set at is whether or not someone is a threat to the public. Someone who is charged with murdering multiple people is considered more of a threat to the public than someone who has stolen a candy bar. A judge will not only look at the current crimes that someone is charged with but also past crimes that they have been charged with as well. If they have a violent history, bail may be denied or set at a high amount. 

Whether Someone Has Ties to the Community

Another factor that is looked at when it comes to setting bail is what ties someone has to the community. A judge needs to ensure that someone who is released on bail will not run or flee. As such, they look to see if the person owns a home, has family in the area, works in the area, attends church in the area, or any other ties they may have to the community. The more ties someone has to the area, the less likely it is that they will flee. 

Someone's Criminal History

Finally, a judge will look at someone's criminal history when deciding what bail should be set at. If someone has a past criminal history and they ran while on bail before, it can impact how much they have to pay for bail this time. Likewise, if someone committed another crime while out on bail in their past, it can impact their ability to get bail this time. A judge will look at someone's criminal history and their past bail history. 

After a judge has looked over the case and bail has been set, you can reach out to a bail bonds company to help you bail your loved one out of a jail. A bail bonds company will work as quickly as possible to help free your loved one once bail has been granted, helping your loved one to come home. Contact a bail bonds company once bail has been set to get started. 


Share