criminal law news - Peoria Criminal Law

What You Need To Know About Arrests

When someone you know is arrested, you’re stressed and upset. You don’t know what will happen next, and you’re worried about your friend or relative. Here’s what you need to know about arrests so that you can help your loved one.

Most Suspects Are Held on Bond

Many people who are arrested don’t stay in jail until their trials. Instead, the police station declares how much bail must be paid for each suspect to go home to await trial. Bail becomes more expensive as the severity of the alleged crime increases, and in very serious cases, bail isn’t an option. When people are accused of misdemeanors, such as disorderly conduct or public intoxication, their bail costs are low. When people are accused of murder or sexual assault, bail tends to be higher. If people can’t afford the price of bail, they purchase bail bonds Mecklenburg County so that they can …

Top Reasons for Wrongful Convictions

There are people behind bars who are innocent. Science is helping with the exoneration of cases, mainly through DNA evidence. Awareness of the issue is also helping with criminal justice reform. One true-life movie with Hilary Swank, entitled The Exonerated, demonstrates how a wrongful conviction can happen.

Here are the top reasons why wrongful convictions happen:

Eyewitness Mistaken Identity

According to Western Michigan University, 72% of overturned convictions, through DNA evidence, are from mistaken witness identifications. The Innocence Project is trying to push for reforms that include the way lineups are conducted. A witness can be influenced unconsciously during a lineup in various ways. This can be shocking to people who are arrested, and they may need to reach a criminal defense attorney Kingsport TN.

Perjury

Nearly one in five cases of wrongful conviction are due to someone giving false testimony. A lot of times this happens with jailhouse informants …

Finding a Bail Bondsman

Everyone makes poor choices, but some poor choices may land you in jail. In fact, due to the number of arrests each year, someone you know may end up arrested at some point. If you have to post bail for a friend or loved one, you may have to work with a bail bondsman. Before searching “bail bonds West Chester PA,” consider the following tips for finding the right bail bond company.

Referrals

Your best sources of bail bond company referrals are detention officers and court officials. You may also consult with your friends, family and coworkers. Your criminal lawyer will know reputable bail bondsmen as well. Ask whether the bail bondsman is easy to work with and how the process went.

Conduct an online review of the bond company. For example, contact the Better Business Bureau to determine the company’s rating and learn about any complaints that …

Bail Bond Company Processes

Bail bondsmen post bail for people suspected of and charged with crimes. Their services allow defendants to return home between booking and trial, which allows them to return to work and spend time on their legal cases outside jail. Bail bond companies are subject to state laws. Therefore, before searching for “bail bonds Pennsylvania,” you may want to know a little about these companies.

What They Do

When a person is charged for a crime, a judge will set a bail amount that must be paid to the courts before the defendant is released from jail. Defendants typically cannot afford to pay their own bail. These individuals may seek help from friends and family, but often they still cannot afford to pay the bail in full.

Bail bond companies charge a fee (typically around 10%) to sell surety bonds to suspects or their families. They may require collateral, …

How Long After Posting Bail Will an Inmate Be Released?

A loved one’s arrest can be a scary and stressful event, and you may push for his or her release as soon as possible. Bail can certainly speed up the process, but how long after posting bail does the process take? The answer depends on a few different factors.

The Typical Bail Process Timeframe

Once bail has been posted, the discharge process can take as little as 30 minutes or as much as 24 hours. Typically, though, the whole process, from start to finish, takes between four and eight hours. Do not, however, quote your Sullivan County bail bonds agent on that, as the process is different for everyone, and circumstances unique to your loved one’s case can either shorten or lengthen the release process.

Factors That Affect the Speed of Discharge

For most families, it’s unrealistic to expect an inmate’s release within 30 minutes or even an hour. A …