Grand Rapids DUI Bond Conditions

Bond is also known as a pretrial release. A bond is where the judge allows someone to be released from jail before the OWI trial and before the sentencing. In order to be released on bond, the person must agree to comply with certain conditions set by the court and possibly pay a fee.

DWI bond conditions in Grand Rapids can include things such as not being allowed to drink while on bond, not being allowed to leave the state of Michigan without the approval of the court, and required regular drug and alcohol testing.

The bond amount is determined based on the severity of the offense and the characteristics of the person charged. If you are charged with murder, the bond would be incredibly high. On the other hand, if a person has no criminal history and are charged with something such as a first time operating while intoxicated offense, the bond would generally be somewhere between $100 to $500 cash.

It is based on things like the severity of the offense and the criminal record of the person charged. A person who has had multiple convictions or has failed to appear in court for different things might have the bond set at a higher amount than it would be for someone who has never been charged with anything.

Bond can be posted by the person who has been arrested or by a third party–a family member, a friend, or a bail bondsman.

There is a Michigan court rule (MCR 6.106) that governs the procedure for setting a bond and lists the factors that judges are supposed to consider when they are determining bond. The biggest concerns are typically the risk to the public and the risk of flight. In the drunk driving context, the court is trying to set a bond and bond conditions that protect the public from potential future drunk driving incidents and ensures that the person will return to court for all future court appearances.

When speaking with an attorney, the individual should discuss the likely bond. Bonds vary considerably depending on the factors above, and also, from court to court and judge to judge. In most first offense Michigan drunk or drugged driving cases, there is a very real possibility that they will be given a personal bond, meaning they will need to post no money whatsoever.

Most people receive a citation, or ticket, which lists the charge or charges. If an evidentiary breath test was administered, there would also be an OD-80 subject test printout from the DataMaster, which shows the breath test results from the DataMaster machine. There should also be a temporary driving permit (DI-177 or DI-93). There is sometimes an interim bond, which would list any bond conditions that are in place before the arraignment. It is important to read all of the interim bond conditions because they could include a prohibition against leaving the state of Michigan.