How Do I Get Out of Jail in Hillsborough County?

Many Floridians ask this same question every day and night. The Sunshine State has one of the highest percentages of unsentenced inmates in the country. In other words, many county jail inmates have been arrested but not convicted of a crime nor even officially charged with a crime. To reduce the number of unsentenced inmates, three different options are usually available in Hillsborough County. More on that below.

Early jail release is very important for a Tampa criminal defense lawyer. Early jail release sets the stage for a successful criminal defense. If the defendant is in jail, a lawyer usually doesn’t have a chance to fully investigate a case and completely develop all possible defenses. In fact, the opposite is usually true. Many incarcerated defendants accept unfavorable plea bargain offers “to get it over with.” A Tampa criminal defense lawyer helps ensure that doesn’t happen.

Pretrial Release

If the defendant is a first-time offender charged with a nonviolent crime, a Tampa criminal defense lawyer often advocates for an OR (own recognizance) pretrial release bond.

When drivers sign their traffic tickets, they’re free to go until their court dates. Likewise, when defendants receive pretrial release, they’re largely free to go until their court dates. Some small fees and a few release conditions, such as avoiding trouble with the law, may apply.

Lawyers often help people meet the aforementioned qualifications. A prior offense is a good example. If the prior offense was more than ten years old or occurred in another state, officials are often willing to overlook it, if a lawyer asks nicely.

Cash Bond

Other than pretrial release, a cash bond is usually the easiest and fastest way to get out of jail. However, it’s certainly not the cheapest way.

A cash bond is basically a security deposit. Like a security deposit, if the defendant toes the line before trial, the county refunds most of the cash bond after the case is resolved. Once again, a few additional release conditions usually apply.

The major drawback is that cash bond is very expensive. Cash bond in a misdemeanor is usually about $1,000. Cash bond in a felony is often $2,500, at a minimum. Most people have limited savings and access to credit. So, these amounts are simply unaffordable.

Frequently, a Tampa criminal defense lawyer reduces the bond amount at a bond reduction hearing. At this hearing, the judge must consider the amount of money the defendant can pay, among other factors. Prosecutors often agree to reductions, if the defendant agrees to stricter release conditions.

Bail Bond

A bail bond is essentially an insurance policy. If Tony’s house burns down, his fire insurance company bears the financial risk. If Tony skips bond, a bonding company assumes the financial risk. Most companies charge about a 15 percent premium. They often lower their premiums if a Tampa criminal defense lawyer is already involved in the case. Additionally, in many cases, lawyers may also act as bondsmen.

Since the financial risk is considerable, most bail bonds have extensive release conditions. However, the extensive conditions are a small price to pay for an affordable jail release alternative.

Reach Out to a Thorough Hillsborough County Attorney

A criminal charge is not the same thing as a criminal conviction. For a confidential consultation with an experienced criminal defense lawyer in Tampa, contact the OA Law Firm. We routinely handle matters throughout the Sunshine State.

Source:

prisonpolicy.org/graphs/pretrial_by_state.html