A bail bond is defined as “a bond provided by an insurance company through a bail bondsman acting as agent for the company, to secure the release from jail of an accused defendant pending trial.”
While a majority of defendants are given the option to pay bail so that they can await their court hearing outside of jail and plan a defense strategy with their lawyers, bond is not always guaranteed. When bond is not offered, it is referred to as “no bond,” “zero bond” or “held without bond.”
As one Houston criminal defense attorney writes:
A judge may not yet have had a chance to set a bond, or a judge has determined that bond should not be set.
There can be many reasons why a judge determines that bond should not be set. For instance, perhaps the judge or prosecutor believes the defendant to be a “flight risk,” meaning they may try to skip town before their hearing.
For particularly violent crimes like murder or assault, a judge might consider the defendant too much of a danger (to himself/herself or others) and choose to hold them on zero bond until their first court date, if not beyond that.
Repeat offenders are also frequently given a no bond sentence.
Can my no bail sentence be reversed?
While there are certain reasons why a judge or prosecutor may decide not to set bond, zero bond can also sometimes be caused by a mistake. In cases involving no bond, a defense attorney can request a bail amount from the judge. Judges will frequently grant bond to defendants with attorneys so that they can meet with their lawyer to discuss their case.
That is exactly why you should contact a defense attorney if you are charged with a criminal offense. Attorneys are someone who can look after your rights in the event that a judge rules “no bond” in your case.