Most inmates booked into the Larimer County Jail in Colorado have bail bond set shortly after their arrest. In Colorado, bail is essentially a monetary arrangement between the inmate and the Larimer County Courts. If the inmate posts bail, he is released from custody on bond, and can get the money back if he attends all future court appearances. If he does not, he will lose the bond money and a bench warrant for his arrest will be issued. Below, our top Fort Collins, Colorado criminal defense lawyers answer bail bond FAQs, including:
1. What is Bail at the Larimer County Jail?
At the Larimer County Jail, bail is money or other collateral set by a judge shortly after an inmate is arrested. If the inmate posts bail, he can be released back into society on the condition that he appears at the Larimer County Courts for all his hearings. If he does, the bail will be returned to him in full at the end of his case, regardless of the outcome – even if he is convicted.
Bail is most often money, but it can also include property or even personal recognizance / PR. With a PR bond, the inmate does not have to pay any money to post bond. Rather, he is only required to appear at the Larimer County Courts for all his hearings. Sometimes, a Larimer County judge or magistrate will set a PR bond with a certain amount of money attached. This means that the person can sign the paperwork bonding themselves out with a promise to appear and if they don’t appear, then they will be required to pay that amount. For example, if a judge sets a $2,500 PR bond, the inmate will not need to pay that $2,500 to get out of jail, but will have to pay it if they fail to appear at any of their court dates. Another type of bond is a PR Co-signer bond. This doesn’t have a monetary requirement to get out of custody, but does require another person to sign the bond paperwork promising that you will appear.
2. How Much Money Does Bail Bond Cost in Loveland and Estes Park?
Many people wonder how much money bail bond costs in Loveland and Estes Park when their loved one is booked into the Larimer County Jail. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question. The cost of bail varies from case to case. Generally, the more severe the offense, the higher the bail will be. Bail can cost as little as a few hundred dollars and as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars.
3. Can a Lawyer Post Bail for My Loved One in Fort Collins?
No, a lawyer cannot post bail for your loved one in Fort Collins. The reason for this is that it can present an ethical dilemma for how that lawyer represents your loved one at the Larimer County Courts. The person who posts bond for your loved one becomes surety on their behalf, which is outside of the scope of a lawyer’s job. So what do you do if you need to post bail, but you don’t have the money?
Because the cost of bail can be expensive for many people, they turn to a bondsman or bonding agent for help. The bonding agent becomes surety on behalf of the inmate by charging a premium. Bail bondsmen generally require you to pay a smaller percentage of the bail amount, which you will not get back. Once you sign the paperwork and pay them their fee, they will go to the Larimer County Jail to post the bond and the person will then be released.
4. What Happens if I Don’t Appear for Hearings at the Larimer County Courts?
Appearing at all hearings at the Larimer County Courts is necessary for remaining out on bond. If you miss any of your court appearances, a bench warrant for your arrest will be issued, and you will be returned to the Larimer County Jail.
Failure to Appear comes with numerous consequences. First, the bail will not be returned to you. If you paid a cash bond, you will not get that money back. If your bail bond was in the form of collateral, the lien on your property will be enacted, and the government will seize that property. Additionally, the judge may not set a new bail amount for you after you are booked into the Larimer County Jail again. If he does, you can expect the new amount to be far more expensive than the first. It is never worth it to miss a court appearance. It is important that you do everything in your power to ensure that you attend each hearing.
5. Why Wasn’t Bail Set for My Loved One in Laporte and Wellington?
There are some cases in which a judge will not set bail for your loved one in Laporte and Wellington. Under C.R.S. 16-4-101, these cases include:
- Capital offenses – such as Murder or Kidnapping – when proof is evident or presumption is great. This means that there is a significant amount of evidence indicating that your loved one most likely committed the crime.
- The Larimer County Courts determine that there is significant evidence that the inmate committed a crime of violence, would put the public in danger if she were released on bond, and meets other criteria.
Otherwise, C.R.S. 16-4-101 (1) states that “all persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties.”
Has your loved one been arrested and booked into the Larimer County Jail? The best thing you can do for him or her is to get in contact with an experienced criminal defense lawyer at the O’Malley Law Office today at (970) 658-0007. We offer 24/7 jail visits and can advise you and your loved one as to what steps to take next. We will then represent your loved one at all Larimer County Court hearings. Together, we can protect your loved one’s future.
The location for the Larimer County Courthouse is 201 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado. We’ll see you there!
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko