Q: If someone has an domestic violence warrant, how long will they be in jail and how much will their bond be?
The person never actually did anything to the victim but authorities were called and the victim lied and said they hit them and vandalized their car. The victim then got a protection order afterwards. There is no other history of the person being involved with authorities except for mental health checks. The person was never able to go to court because they were in a mental health facility. They are now out trying to get everything sorted out. This incident is about a year old.
A:
The victim does not need to be in court at the arraignment. If the judge releases the person on recognizance, or “ROR”, the defendant has to a promise that they will attend all future court hearings after they have been released (or face a bench warrant and serious consequences). In my experience, arraignments happen within 24 hours and no more than 72 hours absent truly extraordinary events.
No one can tell you what the judge will issue for bail otherwise. A local lawyer who appears in that court can give you an estimate of what typically happens but there are no guarantees. You also have not given enough details such as past crimes or arrests or the nature of the incident.
If this warrant is for you, then I highly recommend getting a private attorney to guide you through the process and then -- only with your attorney aware and giving you advice -- turn yourself in. You also need to take care of it as soon as possible. A private attorney in this situation is really worth the cost.
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