What Happens If You Get Arrested For An Unrelated Crime While You Are Out On Bond?
It is possible to face criminal charges for two unrelated offenses at the same time. Even though the Bill of Rights guarantees the right to a speedy trial, the time between the initial arrest and the trial. Judges have the option to set defendants whose cases are pending free until their trial dates, to require them to post bail as a condition of staying out of jail during the pendency of the case, or to detain them until the trial date. The Eighth Amendment forbids excessive bail, and Article 14 of the Constitution forbids the state to deprive anyone of liberty, in other words, to incarcerate anyone, without due process of law. Therefore, the judge must give a compelling reason to keep you behind bars, and your lawyer has the right to give reasons why you should remain free. A Pittsburgh criminal defense lawyer can help you before and after you bail out of jail.
What Determines Whether You Have to Stay in Jail Until Your Trial?
Your case can go many different ways between the initial arrest and the arraignment, where the court formally notifies you of the charges and you enter a plea. If you are being accused of a relatively minor offense, you might get to go home right after being booked into jail, as long as you promise to return to the court for your next court date. The rationale for detaining defendants or requiring them to pay bail money is to ensure that the defendant does not attempt to disrupt the progress of the criminal case or to commit a violent crime while out on bail. For example, the court may worry that the defendant will attempt to destroy evidence or to influence witnesses or jurors. The greater the risk, the higher the bail amount, and in the highest risk cases, bailing out of jail is not an option at all. If you are accused of another crime when you are out on bail, you face two separate criminal cases; the outcome of one case does not influence the outcome of the other.
In the News
On Christmas Eve in 2021, John Dugan was crossing State Road in Bucks County when he was struck by a car; he died later that day at age 65. Kevin Baker, then 21, was later accused of being the driver who struck Dugan and charged with hit and run resulting in death. Baker pleaded not guilty and bonded out of jail while his case was pending. While Baker was out on bail, he was arrested again after a traffic stop where police found 15 pounds of marijuana, 200 THC vape cartridges, a large quantity of cannabis edibles, and $120,000 in cash in his car. In addition to the hit and run case, he is now also facing charges for illegal possession of cannabis with intent to deliver.
Contact Gary E. Gerson About Criminal Defense Cases
A criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing two criminal cases at the same time. Contact the law offices of Gary E. Gerson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania about your case.
Source:
6abc.com/kevin-baker-arrested-bensalem-police-drug-charges-john-dugan-fatal-crash-state-road/13487679/
