Bail Bonds

You just received a call from a friend who is in jail after being arrested for committing a crime.  What do you do?  You may be right in searching for the number to a bail bondsman, but have you considered calling an attorney.  Discuss your options with Erick Cruz. 

In some circumstances, only an attorney can help you because there may be no bond or the bond may be so high you cannot afford to make it or there is a hold for magistrate or another hold on the bond.  Ordinarily, the person will appear before a bond hearing judge within 24 hours after they are booked in at the jail. If you speak to Erick before this happens, Erick can go to the bond hearing and ask the judge to reduce the bond or let the person out on a non-monetary bond program. 

In circumstances where the person is charged with a drug trafficking case or a high value fraud case, the judge may impose a Nebbia condition on the bond.  In this scenario, the person who is paying the bond has to prove that the source of the money used to pay the bond is legitimate and not related to criminal activity.  Erick Cruz has experience in gathering and preparing the Nebbia packet.  Typically, we may need to get bank statements for the previous months, income tax returns and recent paystubs to prove to the judge and prosecutor that the money used to pay the bond has no nexus to criminal activity.

Another scenario that frequently presents itself is that the person is charged with such a serious crime that he is not entitled to a bond.  In this case, Erick Cruz will request an Arthur hearing from the judge.  At an Arthur hearing, the prosecutors have to prove that the person is not entitled to a bond because the proof that the person committed the crime is evident and the presumption that the person is guilty is great.  This is the highest burden in the justice system and one that becomes increasingly difficult for the prosecutors to meet when Erick Cruz is by your side.

In other cases where the person is on probation or out on bond on another felony case, the judge will deny the person bond.  If this happens, Erick will attempt to persuade the judge to let the person out on bond by establishing the person’s ties to the community and arguing that the person poses no threat or danger to the community.

Whether the person has a standard bond, a hold or no bond, call Erick Cruz to discuss your options and find out what is the best way to get your loved one out of jail.