What happens if I skip bail in Las Vegas?
Once someone has bailed you out of a Las Vegas jail, you’re sure to have a certain sense of freedom. Nevertheless, your reprieve is only temporary. You will still be facing a court date, and if you decide to skip bail and fail to appear, your circumstances are sure to go south in a hurry.
The Significance of Posting Bail Bonds
In securing your release from jail, the person who posts your bail essentially issues a guarantee that you will later show up for your court date. If a legitimate reason such as illness or car trouble should cause an unavoidable absence, the court may reinstate your bail and reschedule your court engagement. That, however, is strictly up to its discretion. Not all will be amenable to giving you a break.
When the Court is at Fault
There are times when your failure to appear traces back to a bureaucratic error. The clerk of court may have neglected to notify you of your impending court date, or the docket itself may have undergone change. When such administrative failures bear responsibility, a competent criminal defense lawyer can often remedy the situation.
A Warrant for Your Arrest
Once you’ve skipped bail, the court will issue a bench warrant for your arrest. This will happen regardless of the severity of your original crime. The law will now consider you a fugitive, and bail agents as well as the police are sure to be hot on your trail.
Harboring a Bail Jumper
After you miss that crucial day in court, you may seek shelter with friends or family in an attempt to hide from the law. Remember that by doing this, you are encouraging them to commit a serious and potentially punishable crime. Although they may not realize it, the punishment for those who agree to harbor bail-jumpers could include possible jail time.
Regardless of whether your friends and relatives consent to provide you with sanctuary, any attempt on their part to mislead the law as to your actual whereabouts will amount to a form of harboring as well and will land them in an equally serious form of trouble.
What Happens to the Person Who Posted My Bail if I Skip Town?
When you have missed your scheduled court date, the judge will sometimes allow you a short grace period during which to make amends. After that time has elapsed, any friends or family who may have posted your bail bond will take a serious hit. In addition to losing any monies they have laid out to obtain your release, they also face the potential seizure of their homes, their cars or other valuables that they may have offered as collateral.
What if a Bonding Agent Posted My Bail?
A bonding agency that has posted your bail is sure to use any means at its disposal to track you down and take you into custody prior to the date of forfeiture. They may hire the services of a bounty hunter, some of whom can use aggressive means to bring you under control. In an attempt to recover their money, the agent that fails in these endeavors might later take legal action against you.
Can I Turn Myself In?
Once the courts have issued a bench warrant for your arrest, you might feel it best simply to make an appearance at the police headquarters. Before you do this, however, experts advise you to seek the advice of a competent criminal defense lawyer. All warrants differ in levels of severity as well as potential consequences. Your attorney can protect you while helping you understand:
- The charges against you.
- The amount of your bond.
- Whether this new case has caused you to violate your probation.
By uncovering these important details, a competent criminal defense attorney will give you a better understanding of what you need to do to make things right.
How Weiner Law Can Help Your Fight Your Bail-Skipping Charges
Regardless of why you went to jail in the first place, skipping bail counts as a crime of its own. Even if the courts should later find you not guilty of the original charges, you may still face fines or jail time for your subsequent failure to appear. That’s why expert legal assistance is so vital.
The criminal lawyers at Weiner Law Group go the extra mile to help those who have skipped bail or simply missed a court date for legitimate reasons and fear the natural consequences. In addition to helping you determine the best course of action, the attorneys at Weiner Law may even be able to quash these additional charges. Don’t wait until you find yourself back in prison. Call Weiner Law Group today at 702-202-0500.