In the state of Virginia, driving while under the influence of alcohol or any other substance is a serious offense that can earn you a hefty fine or even jail time. In this state, the DUI law applies to anyone driving a vehicle or watercraft. You are considered to be driving under the influence if the alcohol content in your blood is 0.08 percent or more.
But you can also be found guilty of this offense, even when your blood alcohol content (BAC) is below 0.08 percent if your ability to drive or operate a motor engine is impaired. The penalty for driving under the influence of drugs is the same as driving under the influence of alcohol. If you want to know how much bail you are likely to pay when you are arrested for a DUI, this article focuses on bail for a DUI in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
What Is Bail For A DUI?
Bail is a conditional release set by a court of law that allows you to stay out of jail throughout your trial for the offense of driving under the influence. There are usually some restrictions that go along with that release which, in Virginia, are normally determined by the courts. For instance, a court may order you to surrender your passport and assure it that you won’t travel out of the state until the case is heard and ruled upon.
You might also be required to take an alcohol and drug test and present the results to the court to aid in the determination of the case. The court will also require you to deposit a certain amount of money or some form of property to the court to make sure that you do not violate your bail terms.
It is also important to mention that the terms of your bail won’t be automatically set when you are arrested for a DUI. Rather, they will be set by the court at the hearing where the judge or magistrate will consider the unique circumstances of your DUI arrest.
DUI Bail Amounts in Virginia
In Virginia, the amount set as bail for a DUI depends on your criminal history and the DUI experience your lawyers have specifically in Virginia. For instance, a misdemeanor DUI bail can range between $500 and $10,000, while a felony DUI bail can go up to $50,000, depending on your criminal history. However, you need to understand that there is no cheap DUI violation.
This offense can be very expensive, especially when it involves high amounts of alcohol in your system or a serious road accident that causes bodily harm to another person or damage to another vehicle.
It is also necessary to understand that if you paid the amount of bail money yourself and you make all the court appearances as ordered by the court, then the court will return your money to you after the trial. However, if you use a bail bondsman to raise the money, a portion of that money will be kept by the bondsman after the trial.
You should also know that if you get arrested again while out on bail, the court will not refund the money to you. Also, if possible, do not appear to a bail hearing without an attorney to represent you. Thankfully, you can easily find a Virginia DUI defense attorney to represent you and help you through this critical stage of your case.