The sex crimes trial of Jerry Sandusky , ex Penn-State Football coach, will be starting soon in Pennsylvania. But before trial, the first thing he had to do was make bail. How does bail work in Minnesota sex crimes cases? A Minnesota bail hearing is one of the most important hearings in your Minnesota criminal case. At your first court appearance, a Judge will determine what amount of bail and/or other Minnesota conditions of release (like alcohol or drug monitoring) to impose upon you. You must post the amount of bail (in cash or through a Bail Bondsman) ordered by the Judge in order to be released from custody.
If you’ve been taken into custody , the prosecutor will request the Judge to impose some amount of bail. If because you received a summons in the mail to appear in Court, you are NOT in custody, the prosecutor may still ask for bail to be imposed or, in the alternative, that you be subjected to intensive supervision , which can include alcohol or drug monitoring. In addition, Special conditions of release that Judges may apply in Minnesota criminal sexual conduct cases can include:
- no use of the internet,
- no possession of pornography,
- no contact with minors,or
- no contact with any alleged victims.
These types of conditions of release can obviously cause problems. For instance, if you have a minor child, but a prohibited from having contact with minors, then you can’t see your own child. OR, if you can’t access the internet, then you may not be able to perform the duties of your job at work. A good Minnesota criminal defense attorney know how to solve these problems.
If the Judge mandates that you post a bail amount that you cannot afford, then you must sit in jail while your case is pending. If you are sitting in jail waiting for your case to progress, then you may lose your job and any government benefits you receive. Sitting in jail for any period of time, let alone an extended period of time, also causes tremendous stress for you and your family.
You need an experienced Minnesota criminal defense attorney at all stages of your case, INCLUDING your bail hearing. Your attorney should know the case law, statutes and Rules of Criminal Procedure governing what amount of bail can be set against you and what conditions of release can be imposed against you. Above all, you should have an attorney willing to fight for you, starting with your bail hearing.
