Bridgeton Office
196 East Commerce Street
Bridgeton, NJ 08302
Tel: 856-497-9000
Fax: 877-445-7105
Call Us - Problem Solved
1-877-HELMER1
1-877-435-6371
In the state of New Jersey, individuals could be held behind bars for months because they could not afford to post the necessary bond. In fact, a recent study confirmed that 32 percent of those individuals held in jail were there based on an inability to raise the necessary bond monies and 12 percent were unable to come up with even $2,500 in bond money.
The New Jersey Superior Court defined bail as:
“Bail is money or other security, such as a bail bond, provided to the court to obtain an adult defendant’s release from jail and ensure his/her appearances in court. Bail is not a fine or court fee. The purpose of bail is to ensure that a defendant attends all required court dates. If the defendant keeps all scheduled court dates, the court releases/returns bail at the conclusion of the case to the person who posted/paid it.”
Once a bail amount was set, either the defendant or the prosecutor could file a request to change the bail amount and the judge had the authority to change either the type or amount of the bond. However, effective January 1, 2017, all of that changes and any individuals may be jailed without any possibility of posting bail or other legal recourse.
Historic bail reform is scheduled to take place in the state of New Jersey based on a recent amendment to the New Jersey Constitution. Going forward, those charged may not be allowed to secure their release from jail pending trial. Instead, the judge will conduct a risk assessment for each defendant, taking into consideration the following:
A pilot of the bail reform program was conducted in 2016 in several counties, including Passaic County, with a statewide launch taking place on January 1, 2017. As of that time, loved ones with a prior criminal record may be detained until the time of trial, which could be months or even years away.
While it is clear that every defendant will need a good bail attorney immediately after being arrested, it is far too early to tell what obstacles will result from the January 1st bail reform. Some of the possible pitfalls include:
Before 2017, an individual’s financial status played an important role in the early stages of a criminal case, allowing some defendants to go free while many poor defendants were held pending trial. With the New Jersey bail reforms in place, the State is able to jail more people, which makes the skill and experience of your bail bond lawyer a very important aspect of your case. The team at Helmer, Conley & Kasselman, P.A., is prepared to defend you at the initial detention hearing and during every aspect of your case. Contact us today.
Tel: 856-497-9000
Fax: 877-445-7105
732-540-7701
Fax: 888-855-7672
Tel: 848-207-3500
Fax: 888-401-1567
Tel: 856-547-7888
Tel: 347-305-0500
Tel: 609-601-6100
Fax: 609-601-6101
Tel: 609-337-2090
Fax: 866-275-4118
Tel: 856-232-7000
Fax: 877-872-8879
Tel: 856-690-0900
Fax: 866-691-0778
Tel: 856-428-5700
Fax: 888-387-0499
Tel: 856-769-0780
Fax: 866-309-5450
Don’t let your rights be jeopardized.