There are many different elements and processes in a driving under the influence case. It is essential to understand the rules for pretrial, release, and bond for a DUI case in Greenwood Village. The Colorado Lawyer team has your back and can help you through each step of the process. Reach out to learn more about how a seasoned DUI lawyer can help you fight your case.
Bond is something that either the judge or the jail puts in place. It may be a monetary condition, but sometimes no monetary condition is imposed. A person may sign a piece of paper promising to appear in court on a certain day.
If someone does have to post a monetary bond or monetary condition, they are promising to appear on that date. If they do not appear in court, that amount is forfeited. Bond is a promise to appear in court and in exchange, the individual is released from jail.
The bond amount is determined prior to the individual going to court. Sometimes, the jail presets the amount. Other times, depending on the charge, the person has to appear in front of the judge and the judge sets the bail amount.
A bond could be posted through a personal recognizance bond which is when someone initially signs their name to a piece of paper that says they promise to appear. No monetary conditions are attached to that.
The bond could be posted through a monetary bond. When the court sets a monetary bond, the person can post the bond themselves or someone can post the full amount for them. The individual could go through a surety or a bondsman. They go to a bonding agency and pay a fee of 10 to 15 percent of the bond amount to the bondsman who posts the remainder of the bond for them. Additionally, if someone in Greenwood Village does not show up for their court hearing, they lose the bond amount.
Pretrial release is something the court orders the person to comply with if they are to be released on bond. The individual has to report to the Pretrial Supervision Office right after they are released from court. Every time they go to court, they must report to that office to check in and let them know they showed up for their court date.
They also have to consistently do monitored sobriety testing in the form of a urinalysis test (UA) or a breath test (BA). The person calls a certain phone number every morning to report to see if they have to test that day. The court often orders monitored sobriety testing, especially for an offense that involves alcohol like driving under the influence. They usually impose pretrial supervision conditions. If the individual fails to comply with those, their bond could be revoked and they could go back to jail.
When someone is released on bond, they receive bond paperwork that explains the conditions of their bond. It is important to read the document carefully because it identifies the mandatory conditions the individual needs to comply with, including pretrial services and conditions such as not being allowed to leave the state without getting permission from the court and not consuming alcohol. There might be other requirements such as complying with all protection orders.
The most important thing the person needs to know is their next court date. The bond paperwork tells the individual that they need to appear in court on a certain date, time, and Division. If someone tosses those papers, they do not know when they have their next court date.
It is important for a person to hire an experienced Greenwood Village attorney immediately after being arrested for a DUI because there are things a lawyer can do right away. For example, while the first court appearance is not a critically important court appearance because not much is done, you still have to go. Sometimes, an attorney can get that court date moved.
It is helpful to have an attorney on the case immediately to take care of some of the pretrial, release and bond issues. For example, the attorney can move their client’s court date and provide some information on the case. They talk to the person about their rights and help ease their client’s anxiety. Call today to learn more about pretrial, release and bond for a DUI case in Greenwood Village.