If you have been recently arrested on the charge of sexual battery in Las Vegas or in surrounding areas of Nevada, you are facing both the immediate crisis of incarceration and a tough legal battle soon to follow.
Under Nevada Revised Statutes Section 200.366, you can be arrested on the mere accusation of sexual battery, which is also commonly referred to as sexual assault and rape. A conviction can carry a penalty as severe as life imprisonment with or without possibility of parole and lifetime mandatory registration as a Nevada sex offender. Thus, you will need to get the assistance of a good defense attorney, but the first order of business must be to get out of jail fast so you can find the best possible lawyer and begin to build a solid defense.
What Is Bail Set at for Las Vegas Sexual Assault Charges?
It is true that Nevada has a standard bail schedule that is used throughout much of the state, but Las Vegas and Clark County typically use their own standard bail system as the guide for the setting bail of local arrestees.
As sexual battery is classified as a Category-A Felony in the Nevada penal code, it is among the most serious crimes you can be arrested for. As such, it's bail is set in court if allowed at all. The amount will vary greatly, but will likely be higher than the $20,000 standard bail for Category-B Felonies.
If you can get the charge reduced, via preliminary argumentation at the bail hearing, to battery domestic violence, the bail would be $10,000, but $15,000 if serious physical injury and/or strangulation is involved in the allegation. And a reduction to the charge of simple battery, a gross misdemeanor, would result in a bail of $3,000, but $5,000 for a repeat offense.
Finally, note that bail amounts will double if special "aggravating factors" apply, like use of a deadly weapon, hate crimes, victims being underage, elderly, or physically/mentally handicapped, or the crime being an instance of gang violence.
How Do Sexual Battery Bail Bonds Work in Nevada?
As with other bail bonds in Nevada, NRS 697.300 dictates that bail bondsmen must charge 15% of the total bail amount as their bail bond fee, neither more nor less. If your bail is set at, say, $30,000, for a sexual battery charge, that would be a fee of $4,500. If you can get an initial charge reduction from the judge setting the bail, the bail and the fee would be much lower.
A bail bondsman can generally arrange all of the necessary paperwork over the phone or in person within 20 to 30 minutes and post bail as soon as you are booked into the local jail facility. After bail is posted, it may be a few hours more to go through the jail's release process. The amount of time involved will vary based on how busy the jail is at the time and on how large of a facility you were brought to. There may also be a minimum incarceration time set by the judge and, if arrested late at night, the need to wait till the bail window to open. Some jails will accept bail postings 24/7, however.
At Godfather's Bail Bonds, we are fully familiar with local Las Vegas jails and bail hearing processes and can respond 24/7 within minutes to come get you out of jail as soon as possible. And if you can't pay the full fee upfront, we can arrange a workable payment plan for you.
Contact us anytime 24/7/365 at 702-384-4007 for immediate service.
