When you buy a smartphone, a computer, or another electronic item, it’s usually best to purchase it online. If you go to a store, you can only choose from the items they have available at the time. Alternatively, you could drive from location to location in Ramsey County, but that’s an even worse idea.

Somewhat similarly, if you need jail release, a St. Paul felony lawyer offers many more options.

Additionally, bail and jail release is essentially a legal matter, and not a financial matter. The Eighth Amendment guarantees that pretrial release must be available on reasonable terms. If you have a financial issue, it’s best to see a banker or, in this case, a bail bond agent. However, if you have a criminal law problem, it’s best to partner with a St. Paul felony lawyer.

Initial Considerations

In recent years, the cash bail release system (more on that in a minute) has come under increasing scrutiny. In many jails, there are more unsentenced inmates than sentenced inmates. In other words. most people are there simply because they cannot afford bail.

So, Ramsey County offers limited pretrial release. Although programs like Project Remand are usually limited to misdemeanors, a St. Paul felony lawyer could arrange release in felonies as well. That’s especially true if the defendant has no criminal history and faces nonviolent charges.

However, a bail bond is usually a better option. Bail bonds are available in almost all cases, felonies and misdemeanors alike. Essentially, a bond is an insurance policy which guarantees the defendant’s appearance at trial. Most bonding companies charge about a 10 or 15 percent premium.

A St. Paul felony lawyer plays a vital role in this part of the process. If the defendant has an attorney, many bonding companies rightly assume the defendant is more likely to appear at trial. So, they may ease the conditions or even lower the premium.

Common bail conditions include reporting in person to a bonding agent, not leaving the county under any circumstances, and random drug tests.

Cash bail may be an option as well. But in a felony, the cash bail amount might be several thousand dollars. Tom nay families, that might as well be several million dollars. The amount the defendant can pay is not relevant when it comes to initial determinations. But it is relevant at the next stage.

Arraignment, St. Paul Felony Lawyers, and Bail Reduction

Many times, the defendant waives arraignment. If the defendant is out of jail, the arraignment is basically just a formal reading of charge. But if the defendant is still behind bars, the arraignment could be the most critical part of the case.

When a St. Paul felony lawyer asks the judge to reconsider bond amount, the judge considers a number of factors, including:

• Amount the Defendant Can Pay: We touched on this factor above. The court usually looks at the total amount of a defendant’s assets, as well as any access to credit and potential loans or fights from friends or family members.
• Defendant’s Contacts with the Community: This factor may be the most important one. If a person has a job and a family in Ramsey County, that person is unlikely to flee the jurisdiction. On the other hand, if the person has no local ties, it’s very easy to simply move on.
• Defendant’s Threat to the Community: This threat could be direct or generalized. A direct threat is a threat against witnesses or crime victims; a general threat is something like felony DUI. In both these situations, a St. Paul felony lawyer can propose compromises, like electronic monitoring, a keep-away order, or an ignition interlock device.
• Defendant’s Criminal History and Severity of the Offense: We’ll lump these two together because they are elements in the initial consideration, so they have already been factored in. Furthermore, from a statistical standpoint, these factors are not very important. They are just easy to measure.

Pretrial release is very important in criminal cases. If the defendant remains behind bars, the defendant may be tempted to accept an unfavorable plea agreement just to get things over with. So, the presumption of innocence basically becomes a presumption of guilt.

Reach Out to a Dedicated Attorney

For a free consultation with an experienced St. Paul felony lawyer who fights for you from beginning to end, contact Capitol City Law Group, LLC. Go online now, call us at (651) 998-7634, or stop by 287 6th St E, Suite 20, St Paul, MN 55101. We also offer convenient payment plans.