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3 Ways Ankle Monitors May Impact Your Bail

Obtaining your freedom after an arrest may come with a few caveats along the way. While a judge may grant you bail after an arrest, you may have to wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor to track your movements and location while you are free.

The ankle monitor could be used in a variety of different ways for your case, specifically bail. Learn about how ankle monitors may impact your bail.

1. Lowered Bail

One the toughest parts of an arrest could be finding the money to help pay for the bail. Even when you work with a bail bond company, the service fee could still be hundreds or thousands of dollars. For example, if a bail bond company charges a 10% fee, then a bail set at $10,000 would still cost you $1,000 in a non-refundable payment.

One way to lower bail is to agree to an ankle monitor. An ankle monitor will ensure you stay where you are supposed to and result in a monitored situation for the duration of your court case.

A lawyer may help negotiate the lower fee with a judge, but the representation of a bail bond company could help lower the amount as well. Once you’ve signed an ankle monitor agreement, you must contact a company to install the monitor.

The total cost is often far less than the full bail amount or bail service fee. Fees vary, but you will typically pay an installation fee plus a daily monitor fee. For example, if you agree to wear an ankle monitor and the judge cuts a bail in half from $5,000 to $2,500, then you would likely owe a bail bond company $250 if their fee is 10%.

The GPS daily fees often take months before the total cost reached the amount of bail that was cut. Bail amounts and fees vary, but a bail bond company has the ability to help you calculate the different costs and options as you consider bail.

2. Flight Risk Cases

In some cases, a judge may be prone to deny bail if you are a flight risk. For example, if you’ve been arrested in a different state than you reside in, you may be considered a flight risk.

To help prevent the flight risk status from a long stay in jail, a lawyer may recommend bail with the contingency of an ankle monitor for the duration of the case. With 24-hour GPS tracking, you will help reassure a judge you do not pose a flight risk and bail could be granted.

Not only does an ankle monitor reassure the court system, but a bail bond company often feels more comfortable with the idea of the GPS monitor.

3. Daily Routines

Any extra time you spend in jail may result in the loss of wages. With an ankle monitor, you have the ability to quickly go back to work and make money to pay bail bond fees along with the GPS fees.

When you choose to stay in jail, you may not have the extra costs, but you also not have the extra income either. Even if a large percentage of your paycheck goes to bail fees or ankle monitor costs, you will have extra money along the way to help pay down bills, buy groceries, and return to your daily routines.

Once an ankle monitor has been attached, the monitor companies will know your place of employment and work schedules so the monitor does not indicate any wrongdoing as you go to work. A bail bond company offers the ability to post bail quickly so you lose minimal time at work and help prevent the loss of a job.

For more information on the bail bond process, contact us at Affordable Bail Bonds. We will help with your release and set up any ankle monitoring system you have been assigned to.

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