Ravenna Address
121 East Main St
Ravenna OH 44266
Ravenna Phone Number 330.296.8000
Medina Address
60 Public Square, Suite 102
Medina OH 44256
Medina Phone Number 330.722.5151

 

After the defendant has been arrested, he must be arraigned. The arraignment is the first official court action against the defendant.

The legal purpose of an arraignment is to officially read the charge to the defendant, to permit the defendant to enter a plea (e.g. guilty, not guilty or no contest) to the charge, and to have the court set a bond. If the defendant is in custody, the arraignment must take rather quickly.

In Ohio, the judge has the ability to set a number of types of bonds and conditions for pretrial release. The purpose of the bond is to assure the attendance of the defendant at his trial. The judge can set:

  • A cash bond: A cash bond requires the defendant to post the entire cash amount set by the judge.
  • A cash/surety bond: A cash/surety bond requires the defendant to either post the cash amount or utilize the services of a bondsman. If the defendant has sufficient collateral and does not appear to be a flight risk, a bondsman will post a promissory
  
  • promissory note with the court (on behalf of the defendant) for the full amount of the bond. In return, the bondsman is paid a one-time fee equaling approximately ten percent of the set bond amount - a fee which the bondsman keeps forever.
  • A ten percent bond: A ten percent bond requires the defendant (or a family member or friend) to post just ten percent of the bond with the court, with the other 90% to be due to the court if the defendant fails to appear for trial. If the defendant appears for all court proceedings, the defendant will be entitled to 90% of the ten percent back from the court.
  • A personal recognizance or signature bond: A personal bond does not require the defendant to pay anything to a bondsman or to the court. If an amount is assigned to the personal recognizance bond, then that amount is owed if the defendant fails to appear. A personal bond does not require the defendant to pay anything to a bondsman or to the court, and assumes that the defendant, basically on his honor, will appear for all portions of the court process.
 

If you need the assistance of an experienced criminal defense lawyer in Portage County, Summit County or Medina County, or elsewhere in Northeast Ohio, contact Attorney Dan Weisenburger right now at 330-296-8000. Attorney Weisenburger routinely defends criminal charges in the following courts:

  • Portage County, Ohio: Ravenna Municipal Court, Kent Municipal Court, Portage County Court of Common Pleas, Portage County Juvenile Court.
  • Summit County, Ohio: Akron Municipal Court, Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court, Summit County Court of Common Pleas.
  • Medina County Ohio: Medina Municipal Court, Wadsworth Municipal Court, Medina Court of Common Pleas.
  • Trumbull County, Ohio: Newton Falls Municipal Court, Warren Municipal Court.
For a list of jurisdictions served by the municipal courts and county courts in Portage County, Medina County, Summit County and Trumbull County, click on the arrow.
All crimes in Ohio are strictly defined by law. For a list of definitions of the most common felony and misdemeanor offenses, click on the arrow.
Disclaimer: The ohiocrimelawyer.com website is designed for general information only. Any information on this site is not to be construed as formal legal advice on criminal or DUI defense, nor formation of a lawyer/client relationship. Persons accessing this site are encouraged to seek personal advice regarding their individual legal issues.
Copyright © 2007 Weisenburger & Gaeckle, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Last Modified: August 18, 2007 11:21 PM