The 5th Amendment guarantees the right to bail, and the 8th Amendment assures that the cost of bailing someone out won’t be excessive. However, just because the right to bail is guaranteed doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be any strings attached.
Let’s say for example, an individual is arrested on suspicion of domestic violence and taken to the Santa Clarita Sheriff Station. The arrestee goes through booking and processing and is bailed out the next day by a friend. Due to the nature of the charges against them, the defendant may have to comply with certain conditions in order to remain free on bail as they await their court appointment. In cases of domestic violence, sometimes a judge will set the condition that the defendant is to avoid all contact with the victim and any witnesses.
Another good example would be if someone is arrested under suspicion of DUI. Suppose, during booking, the police notice that the individual has been arrested before under similar circumstances and for the same charges. In that case, a condition of the defendant’s bail may be that they are forbidden to drive a car.
Other conditions set by a judge could include that the defendant surrender their passport, wear an electronic tether, check in with the police regularly, follow a curfew, and not consume any drugs or alcohol. If the defendant is found to violate any of the conditions, he or she may face fines or even be taken back into custody and have their bail revoked.
The conditions, if any, that a judge sets can vary pretty widely, and are typically influenced by the defendant’s specific case. Regardless of what conditions a judge sets, they’re going to be a good deal better than waiting around in jail, so it’s best to always comply with the court’s orders no matter how inconvenient they may be.
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