How do I get out of jail?
After being arrested, you have a right to be taken before a judge, who will advise you of your charges and your bail amount, if any. Your bail may be set by the Court in an amount to ensure that you will return for all court appearances and to ensure that you are not a danger to commit any new crimes while released pending the resolution of your case. In setting the amount of bail, the Court may consider the seriousness of the crime with which you have been charged, any prior criminal record that you have, your community ties, and financial resources. Should the bail amount be too large to permit you or a friend or relative to post bail, your attorney may be able to ask the Court on your behalf to reduce the amount of the bail if it appears excessive and may ask for other terms and conditions of your release, including, but not limited to, release on your own recognizance (your promise to return), pretrial release (which will require you to check in with the Court on a weekly basis), or home confinement (restricting your freedom to home and work until your case is resolved). If you cannot afford to post bail in cash, a bondsman can post a bail bond for you, generally upon payment of 10% of the bond (which is not refundable to you) together with collateral to be held by the bondsman and returned to you upon successful completion of your criminal case.
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