Felony Bail Bonds in Daytona Beach, FL
Everything You Need to Know About Felony Bail Bonds
When you are charged with a felony in the state of Florida, it’s very important to consult with a criminal defense attorney right away to fully understand the charges against you, your rights, how your case will proceed, and what you can do to give yourself the best chance of fighting your charges in court. The first thing you should understand is the meaning of a felony charge according to Florida law. A felony, according to Florida law, is any criminal offense that carries a sentence of death or imprisonment. After your arrest, you will be held in jail until your arraignment. At this point, the judge or magistrate will set your bail amount. If you want to await future court dates in the comfort of your own home rather than in jail, you must consult with a felony bail bondsman. Bob Barry Bail Bonds offers 24-hour felony bail bonds in Daytona Beach, FL. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about felony bail bonds.
What Is a Felony Charge in Florida?
In Florida, a crime can be a felony or a misdemeanor. Felonies are severe crimes punishable by death or imprisonment, depending on the outcome of your sentencing. Florida’s felony laws break down different crimes by their severity, and there are five different classes of felonies in Florida:
- Capital – A capital felony could result in capital punishment or the death penalty. An example is first-degree murder.
- Life – A life felony could result in a life sentence in prison. An example is aggravated sexual assault.
- First-degree felony – A first-degree felony is the most severe felony after capital or life. An example is an aggravated assault of a police officer on duty.
- Second-degree felony – A second-degree felony is a lesser offense than the previous three. An example is possession of a controlled substance.
- Third-degree felony – A third-degree felony is the least severe type of felony in Florida. An example is grand theft.
The types of crimes that could get you charged with a felony in Florida are:
- Rape.
- Sex crimes.
- Murder.
- Burglary.
- Incest.
- Domestic violence.
- Aggravated assault or battery.
- Child abuse.
- Grand theft.
- Kidnapping.
- Possession of a controlled substance.
- Drug trafficking.
- Robbery.
- Carrying a concealed firearm.
- Battery on a law enforcement officer or resisting a law enforcement officer using violence.
What Happens if You Are Arrested on a Felony Charge in Florida?
When you are arrested on a felony charge in Florida, you are taken to jail. Within 24 hours, you will appear before a judge who will read the charges against you and may set a bail amount. The State Attorney’s Office will assign a prosecutor to the case. If you do not obtain felony bail bond services and cannot afford to pay the full bail amount, you will remain in jail pending your next court appearance. If the State Attorney decides to prosecute, the court will set your case for an arraignment. You will appear before a judge again. If you already have an attorney, this hearing may be canceled. If you don’t have an attorney, the court will assign one to you. Your next hearing is a pretrial conference. If your attorney negotiates a plea deal, this hearing will be canceled. Otherwise, your case will proceed to trial. You will remain in jail pending the outcome of your trial and sentencing. If you are found guilty, you will be sentenced to fines, jail time, or prison time.
How Long Can a Felony Charge Be Pending?
Florida has a law called the speedy trial rule. This rule states that a defendant charged with a felony must be brought to trial within 175 days of their arrest. The goal is to limit the amount of time a defendant spends in jail awaiting trial.
What Are Felony Bail Bonds?
Felony bail is the amount of bail a judge sets at your initial appearance or arraignment hearing. This amount would need to be paid in cash to secure your conditional release from jail, pending the outcome of your case. The amount of bail the judge sets depends on your criminal history, age, the severity of the crime, federal or local regulations, your likelihood to flee or re-offend, and your attorney’s arguments on your behalf to the judge. The bail amount guarantees your appearance at all future hearings and your trial. The idea is that you pay a certain amount of money to secure your freedom from jail while you await the outcome of your case.
A bond is a bail or a percentage of the bail amount paid by a third party or bail bondsman. Bonds can be secured or unsecured. If you flee, re-offend, or miss a court hearing, you must either pay the full bail amount yourself or whatever collateral you used to secure your bond is forfeited. When you work with a bail bondsman, you will need to pay them a percentage of the bail amount and/or put-up property or assets as assurance that you won’t break the conditions of the bond. In some cases, a judge will not set bail for a felony because the crime is too serious, and there is a high risk you will flee before you can be sentenced. The primary types of bonds in Florida are:
- Released on recognizance – This means you don’t need to pay bail but are released pending the outcome of your trial. You will still need to follow specific conditions of release outlined by the judge.
- Cash bail – The defendant or their family pays cash bail in exchange for being released pending the outcome of the case.
- Secured – This type of bond is secured or guaranteed by putting up property as collateral. This could be the title to your home or car. If you don’t appear in court, the bail bondsman will use your collateral to pay the bail amount.
- Surety – A surety bond is when a third party takes responsibility for the cost of the bail and has a vested interest in you appearing in court.
Our Felony Bail Bonds Services
Bob Barry Bail Bonds offers comprehensive bond services to people in and around the Daytona Beach, FL, area. We can provide information and resources and answer any questions about the process. We specialize in the following bail bond services:
- Surety bail bonds.
- Cash bail bonds.
- Property bonds.
- Recognizance release.
- Citation release.
- Immigration bail bonds.
- Federal bail bonds.
- Other types of secured and unsecured bonds.
Visit Bob Barry Bail Bonds for Felony Bail Bonds Services
If you need more information about felony bail bonds in Daytona Beach, FL or want to know more about our bail bond services, call us today or contact us online. Our team at Bob Barry Bail Bonds is knowledgeable, friendly, and patient and can help you navigate the stress and complexity of the Florida bail bonds process. We can also work with your family to give you the best chance of release, pending the outcome of your case. We offer 24/7 bail bonds service in Daytona Beach, FL.