The Bail Bonding Process for DWI in New Jersey

 

Seeing a loved one behind bars is a stressful experience, and you would want to do everything to get them out as quickly as possible. Good news is that if you or your friend is facing a DWI charge in New Jersey and have been arrested, you may have the possibility to post bail.

 

DWI is a criminal offense and if the DWI related accident involved serious injury or death of another person, you can be charged for vehicular assault or vehicular manslaughter. In such a case, your ability to make bail will depend on the severity of your charge. The more serious your charge, the higher bail you will have to pay. However, you need to make sure if bail is possible in your case.

 

What is Bail?

 

In any criminal offense, the bail is set after arrest and booking. Usually, bail is required to be set within twelve hours of the arrest and is normally set by a judge or magistrate. Bail is a specific amount of money or security which is set by the court to make sure that you will return for a future date.

 

A bail is set in most offenses because people usually want to get out of jail as soon as possible. This is why most jails have standard bail schedules to specify bail amounts for common crimes. If bail is posted, the defendant is released from jail and remains free as long as the defendant meets the conditions of the bail.

 

Bail Bond Options

 

You have several options available when it comes to bail bonding in New Jersey. These options are listed below:

 

Cash bond – This option allows the individual to deposit the full bail amount with the court which will be returned if the accused person appears in court as scheduled.

 

Ten percent cash bond – In some cases, the accused is given an option to deposit only 10 percent of the full bail amount with the court. This amount is returned once the case is completed.

 

Property bond – Instead of giving cash, the bail can be guaranteed with property or real estate. In case the accused does not appear in court, and the bail amount is not paid, the court has the right to foreclose on the property.

 

ROR (Release on own recognizance) – In this case, the court may release the accused without posting any kind of bail bond, cash or property. However the court has the authority to immediately arrest the accused if he or she fails to appear in court at the date of hearing.

 

The amount and conditions of your bail will depend on several things, such as the seriousness of your DWI charge, your reputation and your past criminal record etc. When filing for bail, you should also know that New Jersey requires a non-refundable $30 fee for filing bail. The judge may also add provisions to your bail, which have to be adhered to as a condition of your bail. Failing to do so will result in the forfeit of your bail.

 

It is always a good idea to get in touch with a bail bond agent if you do not understand the process of bail bonding.