How long does a pr bond take

Posted on March 24, 2022

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Different types of bonds in Colorado
How PR bonds work in Colorado
How long does a PR bond take?
Can you travel on a PR bond?
Can a PR bond be revoked?
What is PR bond supervised release?

Defendants released on PR bond pay no bail.

A PR bond is when a person who has been arrested in Colorado gets released on his or her “own recognizance” without having to pay any money.

Different types of bonds in Colorado

After a person (the “defendant”) gets arrested on suspicion of a crime, the police will book him or her at the station and hold him or her until a judge reviews the case.

In the least serious cases, the judge may agree to grant a PR bond and release the defendant without requiring him or her to put up any money at all. The defendant just has to sign the bond paperwork promising to appear at all future court appearances when required. This is also called a “signature bond”, “no cost bail,” or OR (“own recognizance”) release.

In the most serious cases — such as those involving homicide or rape — the judge may not grant bail at all and order that the defendant remain in jail pending the outcome of the case.

In all other cases — and where the defendant is not a flight risk or violent — the judge may set a bail amount. Colorado counts on CPAT (Colorado Pretrial Assessment Tool) to help determine whether a defendant should be granted bail. Some of these factors include whether the defendant either:

has a phone
owns or rents a residence
contributes to residential payments
has current or past alcohol problems
has past or current mental health treatment
has a past prison sentence
has active arrest warrants
has other pending cases
is currently on supervision
has a history of revoked bond or supervision
was arrested before, and at what age

Defendants who score Level 1 have the lowest risk of reoffending while out on bail, while defendants who score Level 4 have the highest.

If the judge sets bail and the defendant can pay — or a bail bondsman puts up the money — then he/she may be released pending the outcome of the case. But if the defendant cannot pay the bail amount, then he or she must remain in jail pending the outcome of the case.

Note that people released on bail may still be required to abide by various conditions. Examples include:

electronic monitoring in Colorado
checking in with the court by phone or in person
allowing court officers into the defendant’s home to check in on him/her
drug testing
counseling (such as for domestic violence)
rehab (such as AA or NA)
pretrial work release

People released on PR bond who then violate bail conditions may be remanded to jail.

How PR bonds work in Colorado

Sometimes judges grant PR bonds right away. Other times, the defendant’s attorney has to ask for it and argue to the judge why it would be appropriate. The defense attorney can even schedule a special Colorado bail hearing to argue for lesser bail or a PR bond.

If a judge agrees to let a defendant free on PR bond, there is always one key condition: That the defendant show up at all future mandatory court appearances. If the defendant fails to appear in court when required, the judge can issue a warrant and hold the defendant in custody pending the outcome of the criminal case.

Depending on the case, the judge may grant a PR bond with “non-monetary conditions.” Examples may include:

avoiding contact with certain people (like the alleged victim in the case)
avoiding certain locations
surrendering firearms
staying in the state

PR bonds are standard for minor traffic offenses or other low-level crimes.

Learn more about bonds in Colorado criminal cases.

When you’re arrested and charged with a crime in Texas, the judge might release you from jail on a personal recognizance or PR bond. This means you aren’t going to have to put up any collateral or pay any deposit on bail because no bail amount is set. Instead, the judge has decided you’re trustworthy enough to release and believes you will return for your court date with no risk of flight.

In Travis County, Pretrial Services issues these types of bonds and the judge checks your references and approves the bond for your release. Other types of bail bonds that can be issued include:

Property bonds
Surety bonds
Attorney bonds

If you aren’t released on a PR bond and need bail bonds in Austin, TX, you can get reliable help from ATX Bail Bonds by calling 512.834.2245.

As with other bonds, when you’re issued a PR bond you are still required to appear at your appointed court date. These bonds are typically issued to first-time non-violent offenders with an otherwise good reputation in their community. With recognizance bonds, judges typically review evidence such as personal references before approving the bond. These types of bonds are rare.

How long does a PR bond take?

The time it takes to get a PR bond issued usually varies depending on the county in which you’re incarcerated. Travis County tends to expedite the process faster than most counties and through Pretrial Services working the case, it’ll take about 24 to 36 hours to get released. If you have an attorney handle the case, it can take as little as two hours.

Can you travel on a PR bond?

As with other bonds, a PR bond might come with certain restrictions, including travel restrictions. Much of this will depend on the circumstances of the case. Usually, no matter where you intend to go, if you’re traveling outside of your community or county, you will probably have to get permission from a court officer to do so. In-state travel is often permitted and you might have just a few restrictions. With out-of-state travel, you’ll likely have more restrictions and might only be allowed to travel in certain circumstances—a family emergency, a funeral, etc. International travel is usually not allowed.

Can a PR bond be revoked?

All bail bonds, including recognizance bonds, will have conditions set down by the court that you must follow. Conditions could include anything from maintaining employment to taking regular drug tests. What happens if you violate a PR bond? If you violate any of the conditions on a bond, you risk having the bond revoked. This means you might end up going back to jail until your trial. A judge might overlook a minor infraction, but something major like failing a drug test will likely result in the bond being revoked and you returning to jail until your court hearing.

What is PR bond supervised release?

If you see the word “supervised” on your release form when you receive a PR bond, as with all bail bonds, it means that once you sign, you agree to all conditions set forth by the court for your release. If you violate any of those conditions you risk having your bond revoked and returning to jail.

“Supervised release,” however, is not a term typically associated with a PR bond. Instead, it is a term used in the federal court system for a preliminary time of freedom from federal prison. This is also known as special or mandatory parole and the convict is supervised by a probation officer. The convict must follow all conditions of the release or risk going back to prison to serve out the terms set down in the release.

Who qualifies for a PR bond in Austin, TX? Technically, anybody could qualify for a personal recognizance bond. But, these bonds are very rare. To get one, often you usually need to have an attorney who will request one or request a bond hearing to determine if you should be released on personal bond.

At a hearing, evidence of your character is gathered and presented to the court. Personal and work references will be consulted. In particular the court needs to know that you’re not a danger to the community and that you are not a flight risk. Defendants with a solid work record, no prior criminal record, and with an upstanding reputation within their community stand a better chance of getting a personal bond.

Another way a defendant can qualify for personal bond is to be incarcerated for 90 days without being indicted. If the offense is a misdemeanor, the time is 30 days. This is known as a release because of delay.

If you don’t quality for a PR bond and bail has been set, call ATX Bail Bonds at 512.834.2245 for superior bail bonds services. We’ll get you released as quickly as possible.