How is bail set?

When one is arrested for a crime, he or she is taken to a local incarceration facility to be held in police custody before the case is addressed in court. Typically, the suspect is given the option of paying bail in exchange for his or her release until the court date. Bail is the money paid to the court in exchange for this freedom, and the court holds it until the hearing date. If the defendant fails to show up on the date of the hearing, the court keeps the bail money.

The judge will set typically set the bail amount for a suspect. Bail is determined based on the following factors:

• Severity of the crime
• Injury to others
• The suspect’s criminal record
• Amount of threat the suspect poses outside of custody
• The suspect’s family, community, and employment situation

If you would like to find out more about the bail process, please contact the West Palm Beach criminal defense lawyer of Eric N. Klein & Associates, P.A. today at 561-353-2800.