Posts made in December 2018

Choosing a Public Defender, Part 1

If you or a loved one has been arrested, you may be wondering if you should choose a public defender or a private lawyer. Of course, if you are short on money or in a difficult financial situation hiring a public defender is the best choice for you. Keep in mind that the public defender is a licensed attorney. As in any group of professionals, some have more experience than others. Typically the younger less experienced public defenders are assigned to misdemeanor courts, and the more experienced go on to handle felony cases.

When you go with a public defender, you aren’t able to select your own attorney, because your lawyer will be assigned by the Office of the Public Defender. You get the next public defender on the calendar. However, in some felony cases, a specially assigned public defender handles the matter after the arraignment. Or, in some cases, there may be a technical issue of a conflict which means the Public Defender’s Office cannot take a client.

In general, public defenders have to take all the qualified individuals who request their services. So, that is why they generally have very large caseloads, which means they may not be able to delegate the amount of time you feel you deserve. The fact of their having so many cases is the one area that causes the most complaints.

Contact Always Available Bail Bonds LLC at 1-800-BAIL-OUT when you need to know how to bail someone out of jail in West Chester, PA, and all of the surrounding areas.

Your Best Friend in Jail is Your Bail Bondsman

No one ever intends to end up in jail. However, if you or a loved one has been arrested and is sitting in a jail cell in Pennsylvania, the first person you should call is a bail bondsman from Always Available Bail Bonds LLC. We cover bail bonds in Allentown, PA, and throughout the state for defendants who have been charged with many different kinds of crimes.

If you don’t have the finances to post bail bonds, a bondsman can post surety for you. In most cases, all you have to do is pay 10% of the total bond amount. You don’t want to put yourself or your family through the stress of having to come up with the entire amount of the bond. When you work with a bail bondsman, you don’t have to worry about that. Calling a bail bondsman ensures that you have someone on your side that knows the process and is accustomed to working with different kinds of circumstances.

Also, bail bondsmen help families and friends locate the defendant if he or she should get arrested. They let loved ones know about the situation such as the arrested person’s whereabouts, how much the bail bond is, and when the court date is. A professional and reputable bail bondsman also strives to reduce the jail-holding time and to get the process moving as quickly as possible.

Avoid These Major Mistakes When You Post Bail

If you or a loved one has been arrested in Pennsylvania, you may be given the opportunity to post bail and return home until your court date. If, however, your bail is set above your financial means, you’ll need services for bail bonds in Allentown, PA, and all of the surrounding areas. Rely on the full-service bail bond company, Always Available Bail Bonds LLC, to post bail for you. Be careful not to make the following mistakes when you are working with a bail bond service:

Providing the Wrong Address: If you are in-between addresses, don’t write down a false address or give them a friend’s address because every piece of information you give the bail bondsman must be 100% accurate.

Leaving Town before the Court Date: You may intend to make it back in time for your court date, but taking a vacation sends up a red flag that you may be a flight risk, which could lead your bail bondsman to cancel your bail bond with no refund.

Getting Arrested Again : If your bail bonds agent doesn’t trust you, your bail might be revoked. When you are out on bail secured by hiring a bail bond service, you don’t want to mess things up.

Skipping Bail: You must appear at your court hearing, or you will accrue further fees and penalties on your bail bond, and there will also be a warrant out for your arrest.

Failure to Meet Payments: Make sure you understand the deadlines on the contract between you and your bail bond agency to receive the funds you need. Note when the money must be paid back as well as what the penalties are for missing a payment.

How to Choose Your Criminal Defense Attorney

Your freedom is your number one concern if you have been arrested for a crime. The lawyer you choose to represent you is how you plan to protect yourself against criminal charges. He or she is your legal protector and your voice before the judge and jury. You are completely dependent on your legal representative to identify any weaknesses in the prosecution’s case against you, to build an effective defense plan on your behalf, to skillfully present your arguments before the court, and to fight for the protection of your rights. You only want a seasoned legal professional to represent you in a criminal case. When you want to hire a legal professional who has the right qualifications, be sure you take note of the following tips:

Ascertain that the lawyer has extensive criminal law experience.
Check to see if the attorney has a strong track record of success in winning major criminal cases.
Find out if he or she is a hands-on defense lawyer who is committed to working with you directly and maintaining a strong client relationship with you. You should be able to tell a lot just by how the attorney interacts with you in your initial consultation.
Be sure to read online reviews about the lawyer and see what other clients had to say about the attorney’s services.
When you meet with the attorney ask questions, find out how the lawyer plans to help you, ask about his or her charges for legal services, and get a general vibe of the lawyer’s personality.

Depend on Always Available Bail Bonds when you are wondering about where there is a reliable company for bail bonds near me in Allentown, PA.

What Does It Mean to Be Held on Bond?

If you or someone you love has been arrested and is being held on bond, it means that a written promise has been signed by the defendant and surety to ensure that the defendant appears in court at the scheduled time and date. The court sets the amount of the bail, which is an amount of money in cash, property, or surety bond to make sure that a person attends all required court appearances. Being held on bond enables the arrested person (defendant) to be released from jail until his or her case is completed.

A person who has been arrested for a crime and booked into jail must go before a judge who decides the terms and conditions of that particular person’s bail order. There are certain circumstances in which bail is denied. Those cases are most likely to occur if the arrested person is considered a threat to the public. If bail is denied, the defendant cannot be released before the trial and is “remanded” into police custody.

If the defendant is granted a release from jail, a bond order has to be granted by the judge. That bond may be secured, which means that money or property is paid to secure the defendant’s release or unsecured, which is when you sign a document that says you will pay a certain amount of money if the defendant breaks his or her bond conditions.

Contact Always Available Bail Bonds LLC when you are looking for 24-hour bail bonds in Allentown, PA.