The Scoop On What Makes Someone A Flight Risk
Ever wonder what makes someone a flight risk? As any experienced con will tell you, obtaining a label as a flight risk is a sure path to an extended stay in lock-up. Keep reading for more on flight risks and how to avoid getting that dreaded designation.
Bail bond barriers
Just because your criminal charges aren’t severe enough to prevent you from posting bond, it’s vital to know that getting out of jail on bail isn’t a sure thing. Why? The reason is that the court looks at many factors in addition to the charges when determining bail.
Examples of the things that a judge uses to decide whether to grant bail include:
Running away from your problems doesn’t help
- Community connections
- Criminal record
- Employment
- Illegal drug use
- The risk to the community
- Potential sentence
The judge wants to know that you are likely to show up for all of your scheduled court hearings. In other words, the court examines a whole bunch of information to see if it thinks that you’ll skip town before your case ends.
Flight risk
What makes someone a flight risk? Generally, the court will consider you a potential flight risk if the charges carry severe penalties, and you have the resources to avoid prosecution. A person who faces a relatively minor sentence and has deep ties to the community, for instance, is less likely to flee prosecution than someone who could go to prison for decades if found guilty.
It’s worth the effort to convince the court that you are not a flight risk. A flight risk label can keep you from getting out of jail on bond. It also means a higher bail amount if the judge does decide to grant you the opportunity to post bond.
The good news is that you don’t argue that you’re not a flight risk alone. Instead, your criminal defense attorney will stand up for you in court and try to convince the judge that you’re a safe candidate for pretrial release.
Lastly, if you wonder what makes someone a flight risk, there is a decent chance that you’re also thinking about bail. When you overcome the hurdles involved in having a bail amount set, make sure and contact us at Gibson Bail Bonds. We make it easy to live at home during your criminal case.
