Toledo Bail Bonds

How Bail Is Set

Judges are responsible for setting bail. Because many people want to get out of jail immediately, Some County and municipal courts have a standard bail bond schedules that specify bail amounts for common crimes. An arrested person can often get out of jail quickly by paying the amount set forth in the stationhouse bail schedule.

Unless otherwise ordered by a judicial officer, the courts of Lucas County is hereby ordered to follow this bail schedule for the setting of bail for all persons arrested without warrants for criminal offenses committed in Lucas County:

If there is not a bail schedule for their alleged crime a judge will set a bail amount in the arraignment hearing. In deciding whether to release the defendant pending completion of the case, courts primarily consider:

• whether the defendant is a danger to the community
• the defendant’s criminal record
• the defendant’s ties to the community (how long he has lived in the community and whether he has family nearby)
• whether the defendant is employed in the community and for how long, and
• whether the defendant has any history of failing to appear for court.

The following are options that may be available to the court in deciding conditions of release:

• Release on the defendant’s own recognizance. Being released on your own recognizance (“ROR” or “OR”) means you are released on the basis of your promise to report for trial and any other court proceedings in your case. Courts usually release defendants ROR only in minor criminal cases or when the defendant has a minimal record of prior criminal offenses, if any, and a permanent local address and employment.
• Bond or bail. If the judge requires that a defendant post bond or bail, the defendant must post money with the court in order to be released pending completion of the case. The court can require a cash/surety bond or a deposit bond. If the bond is cash/surety, for instance, $10,000 cash – the defendant must post that amount with the court. Once the case is completed, the money is refunded, less any fees the court requires. If the court allows a surety bond, a bondsman or bail bondsman is permitted to post a surety note for the entire bond amount with a contract that the bondsman will pay the balance of the bail bond if the defendant does not appear for court and cannot be located. The defendant must pay the bail bondsman a nonrefundable portion of the bail bond (ten percent) and provide collateral – such as a deed to a home or other piece of real estate – or a co-signor, or both, to guarantee his appearance. If the defendant disappears and the bondsman is required to pay the bond to the court, the bondsman can collect that money from the co-signor or take possession of the collateral. In most cases, collateral is not required!
• Other conditions. In addition to ROR or requiring the defendant to post bail, the court can impose other conditions of release on the defendant, including no contact with witnesses, no use of drugs or alcohol, no association with other defendants, no new arrests, no association with known criminals, no possession of weapons, and no travel outside the county or state. If the defendant violates any of these conditions, the court can rescind the ROR or bond and hold the defendant without bond.
• Supervised release. In addition or as an alternative to setting a bond or other conditions of release, the court can place a defendant in a supervised release program while his case is pending. In some states, this is known as pre-trial supervision and is similar to being on probation while your case is pending. You will be required to report to a probation or other supervising officer and to comply with any conditions the officer sets such as the conditions listed above.

If the defendant cannot pay the bail bond amount on their own, they can seek help from a Lucas County Bail bondsman in the form of a Bail Bond. To post a Toledo Bail Bond, a defendant is required to pay 10% of the bail amount. If the defendant can not pay all 10% Sly Bail Bonds can take as little as 4% down and payments on the balance. If it is a large bond you may have to provide some sort of collateral. Co-signing a bail bond means that you sign a promissory note or an indemnity agreement financially obligating themselves to pay the full amount of the bond if the accused person does not appear in court.

Bailed-out suspects commonly must comply with “conditions of release.” If a suspect violates a condition, a judge may revoke bail and order the suspect re-arrested and returned to jail. Some bail conditions, such as a requirement that a suspect “obey all laws,” are common. Other conditions may reflect the crime for which a suspect was arrested. For example, a condition may order a domestic violence suspect not to contact the alleged victim.