Good Cause for Failure to Appear in Court

When a judge grants you bail after you’ve been charged with a crime, the judge expects that you will return for your court hearings at the specified time and date. Ultimately the entire point of bail in our criminal justice system is to ensure that defendants are held accountable in the court of law.

Regardless of whether or not you believe you are innocent of the crime you’ve been charged with, you cannot skip out on bail or miss your court date without facing serious consequences. Though there are a few valid exceptions, the majority of excuses you might consider using will not help your case in the court of law.

Failure to appear at court on your specified date will result in further charges and you should, therefore, avoid it at all costs. Before we examine the valid reasons for missing your court date, let’s take a look at what will absolutely not be considered valid in the state of Connecticut for missing your hearings.

Unacceptable Excuses for Failing to Appear in Court

• Going to work or school
• Forgetting your court date or running late
• Failure to receive your court date because of a change in residence
• Minor to moderate illness
• Anxiety or nervousness
• Doctor or dentist appointments

As you can see, while some of these reasons might seem justified to you, they will not excuse your absence, and you will likely face legal and financial penalties as a result. While this list is not comprehensive, if you miss your court date, you absolutely must have a very important reason that is recognized by the court.  

Acceptable Excuses to Fail to Appear in Court

The judge will not accept 99% of reasons for missing a court appearance, but there are a few valid reasons that may be taken into consideration if…

You Were Not Notified of Your Hearing

One of the most common valid excuses to miss a court hearing is when you were not properly notified of the date within a reasonable amount of time. If the court didn’t send out your date, you can reasonably explain your situation to the judge. If the court makes the error, you have a valid excuse. However, if you’re moving during the time of your court appearance, be sure to update your address as they will send the information to the address they have on file.

You Have a Health or Family Emergency

If you happen to have a family or health emergency and can prove it with documents, the judge will almost certainly take into account your specific situation. If you have a minor cold and don’t appear in court, that will obviously not be considered a valid excuse, but if you are in the hospital for a significant period of time or you can prove that you cannot safely attend your hearing, you can make your case to the judge.

Your Lawyer Has Withdrawn

Lastly, if your legal counsel who worked on your case decides to stop representing your case at the last minute, this is grounds to reschedule your court hearing so that you can have proper legal representation. There is a specific time limit on these types of withdrawals, so if a lawyer gives you a couple of weeks of notice, it’s your responsibility to find a new lawyer before your court date.

Ultimately, you should always aim to make your court hearings as agreed upon under your bail conditions. Failing to report to court will often cause more legal issues, so you should do everything you can to ensure you make your court date.

Need help with bail bonds? Let Capitol Bail Bonds help you with your bond so can figure out your next course of action. Find a bail bondsman near you or give us a call today: 860-558-2916

Getting Arrested In another State

Capitol Bail Bonds is a leader in bail bonds in Connecticut that has experience working with individuals from all over the country. If you are arrested in Connecticut but claim residence in another state, we will be happy to discuss your specific situation and assist you in any way we can 24/7.  

Being charged with a crime in a state you’re not a resident of can be scary and nerve-wracking! Let Capitol Bail Bonds help you post bail so you can figure out your next course of action.

Arrest Outside of Your Home State

No matter what crime the police charge you with, it’s safe to say it’s certainly not an ideal situation to find yourself in. Whether you have recently been charged with marijuana possession or something more serious like a felony, the process can often have lasting repercussions, especially if you are arrested or charged in another state.

If you find yourself in legal trouble outside your home state, it is imperative you know your rights and how this process outside of your home state could impact a wide variety of factors. Failing to be familiar with the state’s specific legal process is never an excuse for failing to follow proper procedure.

Fortunately, most U.S. states operate similarly in terms of the general process. However, each state and even county might have specific differences in how they process your case. Arming yourself with the knowledge of how a typical arrest works will give you a reasonable idea of what to expect. Typically a judge will determine whether you can post bail while you await your court hearings.  They will also take your entire history and alleged crime into consideration when determining whether or not to grant you bail.

What To Do If You’re Arrested in another State

If you do find yourself being arrested in another state here are a few suggestions to ensure you can make the process as easy as possible.

Hire someone who knows the laws in the arresting state. Though it might be tempting to call a family member or friend back home who has a law background, you should always work with legal counsel is familiar with the specific state laws where you’ve been arrested.

If you need help with bail and bond, be sure to contact a local bondsman who has extensive knowledge and experience in the state. If you are visiting Connecticut, for example, and have recently been charged or arrested, we will be happy to assist you. Give us a call today at 860-558-2916.

Are There Bail Bond Limits in Connecticut?

The process of posting bail is relatively straightforward for most charges: once you are charged with a crime, the judge will review your case and decide if you ultimately qualify for bail given the specific circumstances. Typically, if you are charged with a minor crime or do not have an extensive criminal history, the judge will grant you bail if he or she believes you do not pose a risk of leaving town before your trial. That being said, if your charged crime is more serious in nature, the judge may deny you bail completely.

If you cannot afford bail but would like to be free from custody, we here at Capitol Bail Bonds work with you to help you post your bail by giving a bond to the government, essentially vouching that we will ensure your bail is paid. Unlike having to pay in cash for your bail, we offer flexible payment plans so that you don’t experience significant financial distress in the process of posting bail.

We believe everyone should have the right to post bail without having to worry about any long-term consequences. Under United States law, you are innocent until proven guilty, so we believe it’s important that everyone is allowed to continue on with their normal routine until the verdict is determined.

Let’s now look at whether or not there is a bail bond limit for multiple time offenders.

Is There A Bail Bond Limit?

While most first time offenders can often be granted bail, depending on the circumstances, those who find themselves being charged with multiple crimes over a period of time might struggle to convince the judge they are not a flight risk. When determining if you should be granted bail, the judge will take an in-depth look at your history and the current crime with which you are being charged. While multiple arrests don’t automatically mean you will be denied bail, the more arrests you have on your record, the less likely the judge is to give you the benefit of the doubt.

In addition to your history, the severity of the crime also heavily factors into the decision of whether the judge will grant you bail for the first, second, or even third time. If your behavior has improved over the course of the years, the judge may be more inclined to continue allowing bail.

At What Point Will Bail Always Be Denied?

While there are no hard limits to the number of times you can post bail, the judge will look at a wide variety of factors to determine their final decision.  There are certain circumstances under which you will almost always be denied bail – repeated felony offenses, for example. If the crime carries the possibility of a life sentence or capital punishment, the judge will likely deem you a risk to the community and hold you in detention until your trial. In addition, if you have a history of missing your court dates or if the judge thinks you’re likely to make an escape attempt, you may also be denied bail.

Ultimately, bail is a tool to help ensure that you are held accountable and that you will show up to your court hearings without issue; however, when your history shows you have multiple arrests, that will hurt your case for bail.  If you demonstrate a risk to the community or yourself, the judge will almost always deny you bail.

If you have any questions on how bail and bail bonds work, we would be happy to discuss your situation with you further! Give us a call today at 860-558-2916 or find a Connecticut bail bondsman here.

How Bail Bonds Work – Types, Conditions & How to Recoup Money

Paying bail to get out of jail may seem like a simple concept. The idea is that if someone gets arrested, someone else can pay money and the jailed person goes free. And while that is the essential idea behind bail, there is more that goes into the process.

Often, people who have not gone through the criminal justice system are confronted with a bail situation but are not sure what to do. If you are arrested and have to pay $100,000 in bail, does that mean you will have to stay in jail if you cannot afford to pay the entire amount? Can someone else pay? Can you hire a bondsman to pay for you? How do you go about doing that?

Understanding how bail works, how courts determine bail amounts, what kinds of payment methods you can use, and other similar issues is important for anyone who is faced with arrest, or the arrest of a family member or loved one.

Arrests, Jail, Bail and the Criminal Justice System

Bail is a term that describes the release of a criminal defendant or arrestee after an arrest prior to the end of the criminal case. Bail can – but does not always – involve the defendant (or someone on the defendant’s behalf) paying money to a court. The money ensures that the defendant returns to court for the remainder of the criminal justice process. Therefore, bail is not a punishment given prior to a person being found guilty of any crime, but a way to ensure that criminal defendants return to court without the necessity of keeping them in custody the entire time.

Bail can play an important role in the criminal justice process, as it serves to both limit the amount of jail space needed, and ensure that people who are free while their cases are ongoing will return to court. People can be released on bail at almost any stage in the criminal justice process, such as immediately after an arrest, or even after a court has issued a sentence.

In general, any time someone is arrested there will be three possible outcomes: the arrestee is released, the arrestee is charged and released on bail, or the arrestee is charged and remains in custody until the case comes to an end. Bail is one way people can be released from jail prior to a court determining guilt.

Post-Arrest Custody, Pretrial Release

After the police have arrested and booked someone, one of three things will typically happen: First, the police can release the defendant with a written notice to appear at court. Second, the police can release the defendant only after he or she pays the appropriate bail amount. Third, the police can keep the defendant in custody until a court holds a bail hearing.

State law determines which of the three options applies in any given situation. In general, arrests for low-level crimes, such as disorderly conduct or petty larceny, will more often result in release with a written notice to appear, while more serious crimes, such as serious violent offenses, will result in the defendant remaining in custody until a court can hold a bail hearing.

Read Full Article Here: How Bail Bonds Work – Types, Conditions & How to Recoup Money