The common thinking when families hear that a loved one was arrested is to wait for advisory or first appearance. After all, if they had a large bond it could be decreased and with good luck they might just be released on their own recognizance.
The exceptions to this rule are:
- If the defendant’s size and temperament put them at risk.
- They were risking the loss of a good job.
- Had medical issues.
- If the family wanted to use the posting of bond as a condition to get a loved one to undergo treatment for a mental disorder or addiction.
Now there is an additional reason to consider bonding someone before advisory:
The Sheriff’s department is now pushing for the judiciary to order monitors. If there was any alcohol involved or a previous arrest involving alcohol, a SCRAM alcohol bracelet could be ordered at a cost of around $300 a month. In other cases they could be ordering a GPS monitor for about $210 a month.
If a high alcohol reading was detected or if the client was considered a potential danger to others, monitoring would be justified – but now many cases don’t meet the criteria of public safety. Also the monthly costs of monitoring could easily exceed the one time fee for bail.
So to avoid the costly burden of monthly payments as well as the discomfort and embarrassment of wearing a monitor, posting a bond may be the more cost effective alternative.
