A Motion for Bond Reduction is an important tool for defense attorneys in assisting their clients to quickly and affordably get out of custody awaiting their trial. Tampa criminal defense attorneys are often asked about bond and even more importantly about reducing bond. As we discuss elsewhere on our Tampa criminal defense blog, bond is a set of conditions set by the court to ensure someone’s appearance at future court appearance. More often than not, the term is purely monetary, but there can be non-monetary conditions as well, like no contact with the victim or witnesses, contact pre-trial services regularly, no alcohol, etc.
We have discussed elsewhere on our Tampa criminal defense blog that those charged with crimes in Florida are entitled to a reasonable bond in most situations, especially those situations not involving capital crimes or violations of probation. Many times, individuals receive a bond, they are not able to post, even with the assistance of a bondsman. A bondsman will generally require 10% of the bond amount paid as a premium and may require the posting of some sort of collateral for the rest of the bond, like deed to a home or title to a car. A Motion for Bond Reduction can assist in lower the total amount of the bond, thus reducing the premium amount and required collateral.
Tampa criminal defense attorneys will file a Motion for Bond Reduction to reduce the bond either set by the First Appearance or Division judge. It is worth noting that many times it is important to determine whether the motion is better served before or after it is assigned to a division, this decision depends on the unique facts of the case. Tampa criminal defense attorneys are often very successful in saving their clients literally thousands of dollars in these cases. Ultimately, this matter will be required to go to a hearing, unless the State Attorney’s Office agrees to a bond reduction, which rarely occurs. A Motion for Bond Reduction hearing is a short evidentiary hearing, where the parties are able to present evidence to support their positions as to the motion.
If you or someone you know has questions about their criminal bond and/or the filing of a motion for bond reduction, contact the Tampa criminal defense attorneys of Hackworth Law for a free case consultation. We have handled thousands of these issues throughout the greater Tampa Bay Area by saving them thousands of dollars and getting them out of jail quicker. If you would like to contact one of our Tampa criminal defense attorneys immediately, please use the “contact us now” tab in the upper right hand corner of our website. We appreciate your time in checking out our blog and look forward to working with you.