Bail Hearings
Salt Lake City bail hearing defense attorney
The outcome of a bail hearing determines whether you will be set free before trial. If it goes poorly, you may have to remain in jail for weeks or even months. Attorney Harold Stone makes securing your freedom his top priority, and works to ensure that you never have to see the inside of a jail cell again.
What you need to know about bail hearings
Generally, bail is a payment of money or property to the court to ensure that you appear for trial. After an arrest, hearings are conducted in either state or federal court to set bail. In Utah state court, a judge generally reviews the charges and sets bail within 48 hours of arrest. Bail is generally set according to guidelines found in Utah’s Uniform Bail Schedule and Juvenile Bail Schedule. Federal hearings are governed by the Bail Reform Act of 1984, which allows for the pre-trial release of arrestees.
The Utah and United States Constitutions mandate that judges set bail amounts that are reasonable when considering the severity of the crime. To determine the amount and availability of your bail, judges often consider the following factors:
- The likelihood that you will flee to avoid trial,
- The seriousness of your charges,
- Any previous failures to appear in court,
- Your criminal record, and
- Your connections to the community, including how long you and/or your family have lived in Utah
Avoid going back to jail
At the bail hearing, Attorney Harold Stone uses these factors to argue that you pose no danger to society and should be released on your recognizance, or ROR. If you are released ROR, you do not have to pay any money and only have to promise to return for trial. To achieve this goal, Mr. Stone will present evidence showing how involved you are in the community through proof of employment, residence or any other family or community connections you may have to the area.
However, if you have prior convictions, are accused of a serious crime or have previously skipped bail, it is unlikely you will be released ROR. If that is the case, Harold Stone works to reduce your bail to a minimum, and can argue for pretrial supervision as an alternative to bail. If bail is set, Mr. Stone assists clients in finding bail bondsmen to post bail for them.
Secure your freedom today
If you need a lawyer to represent you during your bail hearing, call the Law Office of Harold W. Stone, III at 1-801-913-7055, or contact the firm online to schedule your initial consultation. Based in Midvale, Attorney Harold Stone represents clients throughout Utah in all criminal cases.
