Sacramento Criminal Defense Attorney Gives Tips Regarding Bail Hearings and Source Hearings
Any Sacramento criminal defense attorney would advise you against testifying at your own bail hearing. There are several major reasons for this:
Your Testimony Could Be Used Against YouFirst, your testimony can be used against you by the prosecution, without fear of violating your right to bail or your right against self-incrimination. Your attorney may attempt to persuade the court use its supervisory powers to bar your testimony from evidence or prevent the prosecution from, but you have no guarantee that the court will entertain such a request.
Your Testimony Might Not Be UsefulFurthermore, it is usually not the case that your testimony would add any essential fact to your bail hearing that cannot be provided by evidence or another witness.
Source HearingsThere is also the matter of source hearings. Such hearings occur when the court has reason to believe that the money used to pay bail was the fruit of illegal activity. During such a hearing, the prosecution may call and examine witnesses in an attempt to ascertain the source of the money.
These hearings are most common in cases involving drug trafficking, especially if the defendant does not appear to have a real job. If such a hearing has been deemed necessary for your case, your defense attorney must be ready to provide evidence that your bail money came from a legitimate source.
whatever your particular needs, you will also benefit from having an experienced Sacramento criminal defense attorney on your side. Call today for an initial consultation with experienced criminal defense attorney Param Pabla.