So you have made bail – hey, that is fantastic! Nobody wants to spend their time sitting behind bars; especially when they are innocent. You have the privilege of awaiting further court proceedings in the comfort of your own home. Things are looking up for the moment – that is for sure – but you still want to make sure you follow a few tips while out on bail.
As a bail bondsman in Oklahoma City, Laurie Poole has witnessed situations where freedom causes more trouble than convenience. While most people will make it a point to follow every single rule and guideline when out on bail, some people are so oblivious that they do not even know what the rules and guidelines are. This is why Laurie is constantly sharing a few key tips on staying within the legal circle.
Stay Informed
When out on bond, you will want to constantly stay informed with both your bondsman and your contact person for court proceedings. This means that on top of honoring your contract with your bail bondsman, you will follow their guidelines. Even more, it also means you will attend all of your court dates. While operating as an Oklahoma based bail bondsman, Laurie has seen a number of instances of clients missing their court dates; voiding their bail bond contracts. Make sure you are writing down all of the relevant information and dates in order to meet them without issue.
Use Discretion
Even if, for some reason, you want to advertise your run-in with the legal system, you really should not. Remember that any information you make public now while out on bail can come back to bite you when it is time for your trial. This means you probably want to keep your personal life private for a while – and definitely off social media. You can always share your experience later on . . . after you have been proven (hopefully) innocent.
Follow the Law
This one is a given. You are in this situation because you either broke the law or you were accused of breaking the law. In either case, you do not want to make your life more difficult by breaking another law. Chances are if you do something illegal while out on bond, no one will be forgiving – including both your bail bondsman and the judge at your trial. Following the law is not hard and definitely worth it if you would like to stay out of jail.
Make Some Money
Regardless of whether or not you go to jail, you should still attempt to make some cash while you are out on bail (by legal means of course!) If you do go to jail, having some money will give you a head start, as you will clearly not be earning much income for a while. If you do not go to jail, you have some money to pay off things like your bail bond premium and/or other miscellaneous court expenses. Either way, it will only benefit you . . . especially if you stay out of jail in the future too.