If you are arrested, it means that if you want to post bail, it may cost you or your family thousands of dollars. This is money that is earned upon your release from custody and you will never see again. This is before your hire a private lawyer and before you know if you will even be charged with a crime.

It may be several days before before you go to court. You may be tempted to call a bail bondsman. Should we call him? Probably not.

Call a lawyer first. Always call a lawyer first. Bail bondsman make their money by posting bail bonds, not by giving legal advice. 75% of all misdemeanor cases come from felony arrests. Let me say that again…Three quarters of all misdemeanors come from felony arrests. This includes DUI which is the most commonly prosecuted case in the state of Florida.

We know that jail is terrible. “The food is bad…They are mean to me…They won’t let me use the phone…They never read me my rights…They won’t tell me when I go to court…we’ve heard it all.

Sit tight and you will see the judge within two business days. But can’t I get out now? Do I have to spend ten grand on bail? Can’t something be done? Will I go to County Jail? I hear it’s really bad there.

There is a 75 percent chance that your felony arrest will be a misdemeanor prosecution. In a misdemeanor prosecution there is a presumption that you should be released based upon your promise to come back to court without even posting bail. That’s right, if you wait the two days, there is a good chance you can get out of jail for free. Even if bail is set, there is a good chance that bail will be less than $100,000. On a bad day it might be $50,000. The two days in custody just saved you $4,000 to $5,000. It sounds like it might be worth the wait? It’s up to you. Even in a worst case scenario, if bail is not reduced, you can still post bail before the defendant is transferred to county jail.

Next, it might be possible to resolve the case at the arraignment. This is often not the best choice in resolving criminal cases, but it is another viable option. Rather than spending seven to ten thousand dollars on bail, hire a lawyer for less money than that, have him present at the arraignment and see if either the case can be settled quickly, bail can be lowered, the charges can be reduced or, if need be, bail can be posted.

If you have a situation from an arrest to a parking ticket, perhaps you should consult with Alexander Truluck. Alexander Truluck focuses his practice as a criminal defense attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Largo, Dunedin and the Tampa Bay area.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.criminallawyerclearwaterflorida.com
or call (727) 799-3550.