What should you do when you are charged with a crime and scheduled for an initial appearance in Baltimore, Maryland? Call criminal defense lawyer Andrei Blakely at (240) 331-0083.
If you have been charged with a crime in Baltimore, Maryland, the very first step you will face is an initial appearance. No matter how minor the offense, your rights require that a judge or commissioner explain the case against you, that you know what you are being charged with, and that a decision is made about bail.
This hearing, called the initial appearance, is often one of the most stressful, but important, parts of your case, especially for the relatively “minor” offenses that are the most people in Baltimore usually have to deal with such as Driving Under the Influence, petty theft, drug possession or simple assault. Fortunately, it is not a moment you have to go through alone.
Baltimore criminal defense attorneys like Andrei Blakely can stand with you during these initial appearances and help you through the tough decisions ahead. Their help, at this crucial juncture, could make all the difference in protecting your freedom, rights, and future.
Your initial appearance after a Baltimore arrest is not just a formality; it is a right. You will be taken before a judge or commissioner who will, first and foremost, explain your other rights to you, such as the right to remain silent and the right to be represented by an attorney. If you do not already have an attorney at this stage, it is strongly recommended you get one, such as by calling our office at .
Furthermore, the officer of the law will outline the charges against you. This means explaining the specific crime you are believed to have committed, and it goes a long way toward determining the penalties and possible outcomes of your case.
Finally, they will make a crucial decision about your bail status. This decision will have a huge impact on your immediate freedoms, or lack thereof, and is certainly one where evidence and an attorney can make a big difference.
After an arrest in Baltimore, there are three possible bail outcomes, one of which will be decided during your initial appearance, each of which has vastly different implications for your finances and freedom.
If the judge or commissioner decides you pose no great threat to society, and have no likely of fleeing and failing to show up to court, they will release you without any need for bail. The court is basically saying they trust you to show up when required, and you are free to go about your life in Baltimore as long as you agree to come back for your court dates.
Courts, especially in Baltimore, are not usually so trusting. If you have past offenses, the ability to leave the state, or a history of missing court appointments but still don’t present an immediate danger, they might choose to add a financial incentive to show up.
This is usually done through bail, where you post a certain amount of money, which will be forfeited if you do not show up for your court dates. The exact amount will not be determined during the initial appearance; however, that decision will be handled in a separate hearing with a judge within the next few days.
If the court believes you are at great risk of leaving Baltimore or Maryland to escape your charges or present a clear danger to yourself or anyone else, they may not even offer bail. In this case, they will hold you in jail until the trial of your case can be arranged.
This is a much more severe penalty, as it seriously restricts your freedom, will negatively impact most careers, and can even be a source of trauma or abuse. You want to avoid this at all costs, and that is one of the key reasons for hiring a defense lawyer to handle your initial appearance in Baltimore.
Without a lawyer, the only person bringing evidence and arguments to the initial hearing will be the police and prosecution. Their goals are rarely aligned with your own, and they may even deliberately or accidentally breach your rights in the process.
Having a defense lawyer on your side during an initial hearing in Baltimore is vital to protect your rights, but also to defend your freedoms. By bringing in evidence about your ties to the community, your past law-abiding behaviour, family obligations, work history and career, your lawyer may be able to make a convincing case for you to be given, at the very least, bail, if not being released on recognizance outright.
But to do that, they need to be up to date on your situation and case, and they need to act fast.
Andrei Blakely | Has handled hundreds of Maryland initial appearance hearings in Baltimore and across the state.
If you or a loved one have been arrested, their initial appearance will be soon, and you need to act fast!
Getting a defense lawyer involved early can make a huge difference in the outcome, not just of your initial appearance and bail decision but also the rest of your case. Andrei Blakely is a Baltimore defense attorney who has handled hundreds of initial appearance hearings in Maryland.
A single phone call to (240) 331-0083 could mean the difference between being locked up and going free. Call defense attorney Andrei Blakely now, even from jail.
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