You may be eligible for an unsecured bond if you committed a minor crime. In addition, a court may be more inclined to offer you the option of an unsecured bond if you have no criminal history. If you accept an unsecured bond, it is in your best interest to comply with its terms.
Ing to The New York Times, "While New Jersey, California, Illinois and other states have limited the use of bail, New York is one of the few states to abolish bail for many crimes without also giving state judges the discretion to consider whether a person poses a threat to public safety in deciding whether to ...
An unsecured bond represents an obligation not backed by any assets. If you receive an unsecured bond, you can sign an agreement that you will appear in court following your arrest. If you do not appear in court per your bond agreement, you will be fined. Unsecured bonds are considered “good faith” agreements.
“Dismissed without prejudice” is a legal term that means a case is dismissed but can still be refiled at a later point. Both civil and criminal cases can be dismissed without prejudice.
Whereas a case that is dismissed “with prejudice” is dismissed permanently, a case that is dismissed “without prejudice” is only dismissed temporarily. This temporary dismissal means that the plaintiff is allowed to re-file charges, alter the claim, or bring the case to another court.
The FY 2024 Budget improves New York's bail laws by giving judges greater discretion to set bail for serious crimes and greater discretion in selecting appropriate non-monetary pre-trial conditions in all cases, regardless of the offense.
In some jurisdictions, the court may also allow you to post a property bond, which will use property that you own as collateral for your conditional release. Unfortunately, though, if your bail amount is high, you may not have the resources to post bail with the court on your own.
The defendant can post their own bail or ask a family member or friend to post it. If the defendant uses a bond company, the company may require the defendant to have a co-signer (someone who will help the company find the defendant should they fail to appear).