Understanding the Consequences of Not Bailing Your Child Out of Jail: Why Prompt Action Is Critical
A phone call from your local police station with the news that your child had a run-in with the law is every parent’s worst nightmare. Finding out that your child is facing a criminal charge can give rise to many emotions, including anger.
If your child calls you and asks you to post bail so they can get out of jail, your response may be to do nothing, especially if this is not their first arrest.
However, at Connecticut Bail Bonds Group, we recommend that parents bail out their children immediately. This post discusses the importance of prompt action after receiving news of your child’s arrest.
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Understanding the Connecticut Bail Process
Before diving into the reasons to post bail, it may be helpful to understand the Connecticut bail process.
After making an arrest, the police will take your child to the police station for booking. The arresting officer will enter your child’s information into the system and take fingerprints and photographs.
During the intake process, the desk sergeant will set a bail amount for your child depending on the charges against and their criminal record. However, your child has the right to request a bail review by the bail commissioner.
In the case of a bail review, your child must appear in court on the next business day for the bail hearing. During this hearing, the court will consider the surrounding factors of the case and set the bail amount.
Bail is a monetary payment that the court requires as security for your child’s appearance on all court dates. If your child fails to appear or comply with the bail conditions, you will forfeit the bail money you posted. However, if your child follows all conditions and appears in court, you will get the bail money back, regardless of the verdict.
Reasons to Bail Out Your Child Immediately
Get Your Child Home
The pretrial period can last up to a few months. Staying this long in detention can have a negative impact on your child’s well-being and various other aspects of their life. Additionally, you will have difficulty communicating with your child while they’re in jail, which will impact your relationship.
When you post bail immediately, your child can get out of jail and come home. Securing their release allows you to look after your child and get them the help they need.
Your Child May Be Innocent
An arrest doesn’t necessarily mean that your child is guilty. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time doesn’t justify detention. Also, the criminal justice system follows the presumption of innocence principle, which is why the courts grant bail.
Should you decide not to bail out your child, and the court finds them not guilty, you will find yourself in a challenging position. Instead, establish clear communication with your child and support them throughout the process.
Jail Is Not a School
If you refuse to post bail on your child’s behalf, the police will transport them to a correctional center, where they must stay until the trial’s sentencing phase. Defendants awaiting trial share dormitories with many other inmates facing severe criminal charges.
Your child is unlikely to learn valuable lessons in the company of these defendants, and they will have an uncomfortable, if not unbearable, experience that may leave emotional scars for a long time.
Posting your child’s bail and getting them out of jail is the sensible thing to do and allows you to help them make better decisions in the future.
Ensure Your Child Doesn’t Miss School or Work
Ideally, you want an arrest to have a minimal impact on your child’s education and career prospects. Bailing your child out of jail will allow them to maintain employment, attend classes, or take exams. The court may also consider your child’s employment or education a mitigating factor during sentencing or future bail hearings.
Helping your child keep their employment is crucial, especially if they have children. If the arrest and pretrial detention cause your child to lose their job, it can affect your grandchildren or other dependents.
Help Your Child Prepare for Their Case
Bailing your child out of jail will allow them to meet with a legal representative and prepare their case. As a result, your child is more likely to receive a verdict of not guilty.
Proper preparation can also count in your child’s favor if the prosecution’s evidence is too weak to support a conviction. In this case, your child’s lawyer can file a motion for an acquittal judgment. The lawyer can petition the judge to dismiss the case if the prosecution doesn’t present sufficient evidence during the preliminary hearing.
Use a Professional Bail Bond Service
Did the court set a bail amount that is too high for you to afford? At Connecticut Bail Bonds Group, we can post a surety bond on your child’s behalf and secure their release. When using our bail bond services, you only pay a fixed, non-refundable fee, eliminating the risk of a financial loss if your child forfeits bail.
We charge the lowest bail bond premium Connecticut law allows. With our bail bond option, you don’t need to use your life savings, a personal loan, or a property lien to get your loved one out of jail.
Our bail bondsman will also take care of the entire bond process. All you need to do is fetch your child from the police station.
Connecticut Bail Bonds Group: We Are Available 24/7
Our bail bondsmen are available 24/7, including weekends and public holidays. Contact us today to secure your child’s release from jail.
