In Ohio, many felony and misdemeanor offenses are bailable. When a crime is bailable, that means a bail amount is set on a schedule or by a judge, which the accused can pay to get out of jail.
A few examples of bailable crimes in Ohio include:
- Domestic violence: Offenses involve knowingly causing or attempting to cause physical harm to a family or household member. Individuals covered under the law include spouses, former spouses, parents/foster parents, children, blood relatives, and the other natural parent of the alleged offender's child.
- Drug crimes: This umbrella term concerns various offenses, such as trafficking in controlled substances, possession of drugs, possession of drug abuse instruments, possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with drugs, and manufacturing or cultivating controlled substances.
- OVI: Under Ohio law, a person commits this offense when they operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, or they have a blood or breath alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. A person may also be arrested for this crime if they have a concentration of specific controlled substances in their blood or urine.
- Federal crimes: Arrests for these offenses arise when someone allegedly violates federal statutes such as those concerning mail fraud, wire fraud, tax fraud, and drug trafficking.
- Weapons offenses: A range of activities may be considered weapons crimes, such as illegal possessing or purchasing a weapon, improperly handling a firearm, or having a gun while under disability.
How Much Is Bail for a Bailable Offense?
If you or a loved one was charged with a crime listed above or any other that's eligible for bail, the amount you must pay for release from jail depends on the situation.
Shortly after your arrest, the court will set an arraignment. During this proceeding, the judge will consider several factors, like your criminal history and the seriousness of the alleged crime, to determine the bail amount. They do this to ensure that you have a (financial) reason to return to court for your scheduled appearances. If you fail to show up, you wouldn’t get your bail money back, or if you went through a bail bond agency for help getting out of jail, you'd be responsible for paying the balance for the bond.
Are All Crimes Bailable?
In some cases, bail can be denied. Such will happen when the alleged offense is considered extremely severe.
In cases involving murder, first- or second-degree felonies, menacing by stalking, or other serious crimes, the court will schedule a hearing to determine whether grounds exist to deny bail. The state must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that denying bail is in the best interest of justice because the alleged offender poses a risk to the community or others and no conditions will guarantee their return to court to answer for their crime.
At Andy Callif Bail Bonds, we provide bond services for a variety of criminal offenses in Columbus. Discuss your case during a free consultation by calling us at (614) 945-4334 or submitting an online contact form today.