How Do I Bail Somebody Out of Jail in Minnesota?
If you have a loved one in jail, then you know that feeling of helplessness. The question is, is there anything you can do to get them out? The answer is yes.
If your loved one has been arrested in Minnesota, charged with a crime, and is being held in custody, the law requires that they appear before a Judge to set bail and/or conditions of release. The Court generally has several options regarding bail including:
The Judge can release the person on their own recognizance. This is sometimes referred to as OR’d or RPR’d here in Minnesota. This means they don’t have to post any money and there are no conditions or release. They just have to come back to court;
The Judge can set conditions of release which may include no use provisions, random urinalysis, stay in contact with the conditional release people, etc. This means they have the option of agreeing to these conditions without posting any money to get out of jail;
The Judge may set a bail amount that includes conditions of release. This is sort of a hybrid that includes promises to do certain things along with a certain amount of money in order to get out. If you don’t pay the money, they you stay in jail; and .
The Judge may set a bail amount without conditions. This means that the they must post the cash bail or get a bond. The person simply agrees to appear in court at all future court appearances. In Minnesota, the Court must provide this as an option.
You can absolutely benefit from having an experienced by your side at this point. Jack Rice Defense has extensive experienced arguing bail and conditions of release. Contact Jack Rice Defense for a free confidential consultation.
If your loved one is sitting in jail with a cash bail requirement, with or without conditions, if you do nothing, they will sit in custody until the case is resolved. While a criminal case in Minnesota can sometimes take a few months, there have certainly been circumstances when cases have been pending for several years. As a result, a defendant could sit until the case is resolved. For many, this is simply not an option. How many of us could drop everything for months and not lose everything they have?
The other option is to post the bail for that person and get them home where they belong. In order to do this, you can handle it in one of two ways. First, you can post the bond in cash. This means, for instance, if the bond is $5000, you could give $5000 in cash to Court Administration in the County in Minnesota where they are held. They would give you a receipt and your loved one would be released pending the resolution of the case. Upon resolution of the case, the $5000 cash payment would be returned. So, this would cost you nothing so long as there are no violations and the bail is not forfeited by the Court for some reason.
“Posting a bond for a loved one absolutely comes with risks. It costs money and you risk financial responsibility if that person fails to fulfill their obligations and the bond is forfeited. The Bondsman will come after you for the money.”
The other option is you could contact what is known in Minnesota as a Licensed Bail Bondsperson. Normally, when you meet with a Bondsperson, they would collect some basic information about the person you want to post the bond for as well as some additional information about yourself. Then, the Bondsperson would post the bond on your behalf with the Court and your loved one would be released. However, it is important to consider a few things. First, like in the example above with a $5000 bond, you would be required to generally pay the Bond company 10% or $500. At the end of the case, the Bondsperson would keep that $500 as their fee. In additrion, in the event that your loved one violates and has the bond forfeited, you could be on the hook to the Bondsperson for the entire amount of the bond. They frequently do this by requiring collateral of some kind. So, you lose the fee and you are on the hook for the rest. It is just something to consider when you sign a bond for somebody else. However, sometimes, this is still the best option. Jack Rice Defense has built long standing relationships with some of these Licensed Bondspeople who are honest, competent and quick. Contact Jack Rice Defense for more information.
Of course, the bond is only the starting point in a criminal case. After that, your loved one must face the seriousness of the criminal charges themselves. If your loved one is facing serious criminal charges in Minnesota, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney who can help. Jack Rice is a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist, a former prosecutor, a former U.S. Federal Agent and the Founder of Jack Rice Defense. Contact Jack Rice Defense for a free confidential consultation or call 651-447-7650 or 612-227-1339.