How can I lower my bail?
We all hear on the news about how this person had their bail set at this amount, and that person had their bail set at that amount. How does a Judge come to a conclusion about what bail to set? Can you get bail lowered from the original amount the Judge set it at?
Hi, this is attorney Michael Pariente with the Pariente Law Firm, P.C., John G. Watkins, of counsel. I’m a criminal defense lawyer here in Las Vegas and have been practicing law for over 18 years now.
Today I’d like to talk to you about the subject of bail reduction. Let’s say that you have a loved one who’s in jail and you’re trying to get the bail reduced under NRS 178.484-548, which is the provision of Nevada law that deals with bail reduction.
What are the factors the Judge looks at when he or she wants to reduce your bail? The Judge will take two things into consideration:
Is the person a flight risk?
What does that mean? The judge will look at the person to determine if they have significant contacts to the community, work in Las Vegas, have family here in Las Vegas, have kids who go to school here in Las Vegas, owns a home here in Las Vegas, and how long the person has lived in Las Vegas. Those are the general factors that the judge will take into consideration.
Is the person a danger to the community?
Basically, the judge looks at the nature of the charge in addition to any type of criminal history you may have. If you have no prior criminal history other than this arrest, that can help in the judge’s determination to lower your bail.
The judge has the power to release you on your own recognizance which is the best-case scenario. The judge also has the power to release you on your own recognizance with intensive supervision and/or house arrest. If you’re in a situation where you want to look at getting your bail reduced, fortunately, I have a lot of experience in this area. I’ll give you an example: I have a client that was facing $500,000 bail on high-level trafficking charges and I was able to get that bail reduced down to $15,000 cash only. Therefore, my client was able to get out for $15,000 dollars.
If you’re in a situation where you know someone who’s in jail and you’re looking to get their bail reduced, give me a call. You can meet with me in person or if you’re from out of state, let’s talk over the phone about how I can help you.