You Can Go Free On Bond Even After A Guilty Verdict
Last week was an emotional and financial rollercoaster for Kisean Anderson, a South Florida recording artist known by his stage name Sean Kingston. Anderson and his mother faced trial after pleading not guilty to wire fraud charges after prosecutors alleged that they defrauded businesses out of hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of luxury items. Jurors returned a guilty verdict for both defendants, although they determined that Anderson played a lesser role in the conspiracy. The judge ordered Anderson’s mother detained until the pair’s sentencing in June, but he allowed Anderson to post a $100,000 bond and remain on home detention until his sentencing. When he did not pay the bond money on time, law enforcement detained him. Anderson paid the bond money the following day and went home to remain on home detention until his sentencing date. The decision to let Anderson post bond was not purely because he is a music celebrity, although it doesn’t hurt to be rich and famous when your bond amount is in the six figures. To find out more about posting bond and other rights of defendants in criminal cases, both those who have been convicted and those who have not, contact a West Palm Beach white collar crime lawyer.
When and How Can You Post Bond?
In general, the state does not have the right to deprive people of their liberty, that is, to incarcerate them, except as a punishment for a crime, and defendants cannot be convicted of crimes unless they plead guilty or a jury returns a guilty verdict at trial. The courts allow defendants to post bond while their cases are pending, as a promise that they will return to court on the scheduled date, in other words, that they will fulfill their obligations under due process of law. The court has the right to order the defendant’s detention and not let him or her post bond if the court reasonably believes that, if free on bond, the defendant will flee, tamper with evidence, or intimidate witnesses.
The bond amount depends on the severity of the criminal charges. Most people cannot come up with thousands of dollars in bond money on short notice, so they pay a portion of the bond amount to a bail bond company, which pays the rest. The court returns the bond money at the defendant’s next court appearance.
The court might order a convicted defendant, whether the conviction comes from a guilty plea or a trial, to post bond and remain free until his or her sentencing. Another way that defendants can sometimes stay out of prison after a conviction is if they appeal their convictions or sentences and the court allows them to remain free while the appeal is pending.
Contact a West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
Attorney William Wallshein has more than 41 years of experience, including five years as a prosecutor in Palm Beach County. Contact William Wallshein P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida to discuss your case.
Sources:
local10.com/news/local/2025/04/15/singer-sean-kingston-in-custody-in-miami-after-failing-to-come-up-with-100k-cash-bond/
wsvn.com/entertainment/sean-kingston-released-from-custody-in-federal-wire-fraud-case-after-posting-100k-bond/
