Chicago Bail Jumping Lawyer

Bail jumping could land you in serious trouble and facing additional charges, not just the original offense. Talk to a Chicago bail attorney about your case and your options for beating both charges. 

If you’ve been arrested and released on bail, you might later find yourself thrown in jail again if you’ve been accused of bail jumping, or failing to appear for your court date after being bailed out. Now you’re in trouble and back behind bars. 

A Chicago bail jumping lawyer can help, though. Reach out for the lawyers at Chicago Trusted Attorneys™ if you’ve been accused of bail jumping. You may still have a chance to fight your charges

Penalties for Bail Jumping

If you’ve already been arrested for criminal charges, you don’t want to make the proceedings more difficult on yourself. Unfortunately, bail jumping could land you in more serious trouble than before. 

Now, you might be dealing with your original criminal trial plus other penalties that may include a second criminal trial. 

First, if you fail to appear on your court date, you’ll typically lose your bail bond. That means you or the person who provided the bond will lose that money. 

Failing to appear won’t stop the prosecution process for your current criminal charges, either. You’ll still be expected to attend trial for your criminal charges, and now you will also need to attend a hearing on why you failed to appear for your Chicago court date. 

If they believe you had the intent to bail jump, rather than being too ill to come or otherwise unable to attend, you could be charged with evading justice. Obstructing the service of criminal processes or court orders is a Class B misdemeanor in Illinois, and a misdemeanor charge isn’t something you want to risk. 

Defenses for Bail Jumping

If you’ve been accused of skipping your court date, your Chicago bail jumping attorney may focus on proving you didn’t intend to skip it. However, that can be tough to prove. You may need substantial evidence that you were sick, for example, like proof of a hospital visit. Another legitimate reason for bail jumping may include being jailed elsewhere and not being released. 

Often, your strongest defense is that there were factors involved beyond your control, but this may require a lot of evidence to prove you didn’t skip your Chicago court date on purpose. Fortunately, your lawyer can help you when you’re accused of failure to appear. 

Talk to a Chicago Bail Jumping Attorney

One mistake could lead to more severe charges or even a second offense. That’s two trials, and now, you might be in serious trouble. It could mean two back-to-back criminal sentences if you’re not prepared to fight back. 

The lawyers at Chicago Trusted Attorneys™ can help. We understand that making your court date can be tough, and you might not have realized how important it is to show up. Fortunately, your attorney can guide you through your case and may be able to help you prove you weren’t intending to bail jump. 

Ready to protect yourself from penalties for failing to appear in court? Talk to a Chicago bail jumping lawyer by calling 312-519-3171 or by filling out the online contact form below.