Typically, when a person is arrested and charged with a drug crime, the bond amount determined could be higher than they could afford at the moment. Bonds are amounts paid to the court to assure that the defendant will appear in all court hearings rather than spending time in police custody. You must rely on a reliable bail bond agent to ensure that your bail is promptly paid and your release is processed as quickly as possible. Schedule an appointment with us and learn how we can help you protect your rights.
How to Bail Someone out of Jail in Nevada
Once you or your loved one is arrested for a drug crime in Nevada, you will be escorted to the nearest jail and booked. The arresting officer will confiscate the illegal drugs found on you, identify them, weigh them, and document the results. You will then attend a bail hearing, where the bail amount will be determined.
You can post a cash bail if you can afford it, but most bail amounts set for drug crimes are way too expensive to afford cash bail. That's why you should rely on a bondsman to raise the amount that the court set. Most bondsmen are located near jails, making them easily accessible. They can also prepare necessary paperwork within 30 minutes and, if possible, can have you released within 48 hours after your arrest.
Posting bail allows you to continue with your normal life out of jail and attend court proceedings as stipulated. After your release, you can seek help like rehab or counseling to improve your image before the judge. As long as you abide by your bail condition, you will have nothing to worry about the possibility of losing your property to the bondsman.
How the Court Sets Bail in Nevada
The judge has the authority to impose reasonable conditions deemed necessary to protect the community's safety, health, and welfare while ensuring the individual's performance at the time and places ordered by the court. Precisely, the judge will determine the bail amount based on the following factors:
- Your job status and history
- The length of your residence in the community
- Your reputation, mental condition, and character of the defendant
- Previous criminal records and any records of your appearing your court hearing
- Identity of a responsible citizen who would find you whenever you are if you are a flight risk
- The likelihood of engaging in other criminal activity once you're released
- The nature and seriousness of your crime
Please note that a judge can impose specific conditions on a defendant about to be released after an arrest. These conditions must be necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the community and include the following:
- Not traveling to other countries or states.
- Submitting to random drug tests.
- Wearing electronic monitoring.
Nevada Supreme Court allows a defendant who cannot afford bail to attend a hearing. At this hearing, the prosecutor must show clear and convincing evidence that the defendant should pay bail to protect the community and ensure that he or she appears in court. If the judge finds it necessary to pay the bail, he or she must take note of the defendant's financial resources and all factors discussed above to set the amount.
The judge can also release you with no bail in a process known as the Own Recognizance release. In drug cases, a judge can release you on an Own recognizance in misdemeanor cases. When released on your recognizance, you don't have to pay anything but are released with the promise that you will attend your court hearing.
The Cost of a Drug Case Bail
Control or possession of controlled drugs is charged as a felony offense in Nevada. Marijuana is also under this category unless you have a prescription. Arrests for marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, and meth, and other illegal drugs are common in Nevada. Therefore, the amount supposed to be paid for the bail is usually high for all drug-related cases. In some circumstances, the amount can be doubled, especially when the offense is committed near or on school property.
Possessing drugs for the first time is charged as a Category E felony. Possessing drugs for the third time is a Category D felony. The standard bail for these categories is $5,000, although the amount can rise.
If you cannot afford the amount, you could seek the services of a bail bond agent and pay a 15% fee of the standard amount in Nevada. There are other additional fees, like processing fees and others specific to the bail bondsman of your choice.
Source Hearing While Posting Bail and Bonds for a Drug Case
In Nevada, the court can sometimes, at its discretion, require a defendant to give proof of where you obtained the amount being posted as bail. This is done in a source hearing. In drug-related cases, a source hearing is held when the defendant is a suspect in a large drug traffic operation and could have the source of the amount from the drug trafficking business.
The court can authorize this hearing to ensure that the proceeds of the bail payment are not directly or indirectly linked to the drug trafficking offense. The best way to help you post bail without having the state believing that the bail amount is proceeds of criminal activity is by talking to your lawyer about the probable bail range of your charges.
You can also learn from the attorney whether the judge deciding the bail amount sets high bail and confirm whether you can raise the amount. You should also source relevant documents that would help you establish a legitimate source of the bail amount.
Find the Best Bail Bondsman Near Me
At Express Bail Bonds, we could help minimize the time you spend in police custody following your arrest. If you cannot raise the bail amount set, we could post the bail on your behalf and walk out of jail and continue with your normal life as before your arrest. If arrested and looking for a reliable bail bond agent in Las Vegas, NV, call us today at 702-633-2245 for fast bail bond services.
