What you can do when pre-trial release conditions are too harsh

How Top Rated Maricopa County AZ Criminal Defense Attorneys Get Your Release Conditions Modified (Pre-trial)

After your Maricopa County DUI or Criminal arrest and detention you will be required to have an initial appearance before that particular court in Maricopa County. The Maricopa County judge will read you your rights, formal charges, and advise you of your pre-trial release conditions. The primary purposes of court in setting release conditions is to 1) secure a defendant’s appearance for future court dates or trial, 2) and to make sure the defendant’s release does not pose a threat or harm to others in the community.

The Maricopa County Court Judge takes into account many factors in making this decision including classification of the charge such as a misdemeanor or felony; severity and nature of the charges; if the charges involved a violent crime; your past criminal record if any; whether or not you are a potential “flight risk”; along with other standard release conditions and factors.

The release conditions should be commensurate with the criminal charge. The release conditions should not be unjust or unreasonable based on the crime you are accused of committing. For example, if a financially burdened defendant, with no prior criminal record was accused of shoplifting milk and a loaf of bread, without any weapons or threat of harm to anyone in the store; it would be outrageous for the judge to require him to post a $950,000.00 bail bond in order to be released from custody (truly outrageous…but just to make the point). If the release conditions seem overly harsh, unreasonable, financially unobtainable, or burdensome, your will need to retain an Arizona criminal defense attorney.

An experienced private criminal defense attorney who defends charges regularly in Maricopa County Courts will immediately file a motion to request modification of your pre-trial release conditions. This can be done immediately while you are in custody. Either you or someone on your behalf can consult a Maricopa County criminal defense lawyer to discuss the charges, defense options, and services your Attorney can provide involving a request to modify your pre-trial release conditions from Maricopa County police custody. This legal defense service by your private attorney is usually done as part of the entire retention and formal defense process.

Examples of modifications your Maricopa County criminal defense Attorney may request include but are not limited to lowering the bail bond to a reasonable amount; allowing you to be released on your own recognizance; allow an appearance bail, or allow you to be released to another responsible entity’s custody (for example a minor being released to the parents of the minor) home confinement with ankle bracelet security, and other more favorable conditions than initially ordered by the Maricopa County Court Judge.

When you discuss your case and initial release conditions with your Maricopa County Criminal or DUI Defense Attorney, be sure you communicate your concerns about the initial orders and how they will impact you, your family, your job, your financial situation. Your Maricopa County criminal defense attorney will immediately formulate compelling arguments and file the appropriate motions with the Maricopa County court on your behalf, in most cases while you are still in custody if you have retained them formally for legal representation.

Your chances of getting your pre-trial release conditions modified with the retention of a good private practice criminal attorney who defends charges in Maricopa County frequently significantly increase in your favor.


If you have been arrested for DUI or criminal charges in Maricopa County contact the Law Office of James Novak, for your Free Consultation at (480) 413-1499. Speak directly with experienced Arizona criminal Defense and DUI Defense Attorney and James Novak (Former Prosecutor). Also visit www.arizonacrimialdefenselawyer.com for helpful DUI and criminal defense information.

The Law Office of James Novak is devoted to defending DUI, Drug & criminal charges in Arizona, valley wide within Maricopa County including the cities of Chandler, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Mesa, Gilbert and Tempe Arizona, Phoenix Metro, and Phoenix East Valley Arizona.

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