There is no way around the fact that any arrest will cost money. Between bail, fines and other costs associated with possible time off and transportation, an arrest is not only disruptive to time but is also bank accounts as well. To help offset a bit of the cost, here are some things to make note of.
See if you are eligible for a public defender
Lawyers are expensive and hiring a private lawyer will set anyone back thousands of dollars. This may not be an option in some cases or if you already have significant resources but if you are in need it is worth it to apply for a public defender. You will need to fill out a form that requires some financial information, but is you qualify then the cost of a lawyer will be greatly subsidized and sometimes not even cost anything.
Work with a bail bondsman
When bonds are offered there are typically two main ways that a defendant will pay for it. One is called a cash bond where all the money is paid upfront and if the defendant shows, they will eventually have that money returned minus and fine and fees. This however can take several months so if someone can’t afford to have potentially tens of thousands of dollars missing from their account for an extended period of time, then it is not really a feasible option. The way to mitigate this however is to work with a bail bondsman. When you work with a bail a bonds agency, you are only needing to come up with around 10% of the cost of a bond. The catch however is that this money is not refundable and is considered the service fee for using a bail bondsman. This option gives defendants a way to avoid having to stay in jail without having to wipe out their entire life savings, even if only temporarily.
Stay on track with bail conditions
The final way to make sure that more money won’t have to be put into the court system is to just stay out of trouble. Follow all bail conditions, avoid any possibility of rearrests and show up to all court dates. When new legal issues occur, extra charges and costs come with it. By just adhering to whatever rules the court requires is the most important way to ensure that the costs won’t skyrocket.
Overall, although these tips can’t make all the costs disappear, it can hopefully help make the costs more reasonable and keep new costs from stacking up.
