You may feel overwhelmed, even frightened, but criminal charges call for action, not feelings. After trying to post bond to get out of jail, if possible, the next logical step is to hire a criminal defense lawyer. As the defendant, or someone trying to help, you need to find an attorney who handles your type of case and is familiar with the prosecutors and judges. The same thing goes for a legal buddy who does not practice much criminal law. Ask them to recommend someone who does and find out if the lawyer you want to hire has a good reputation in the legal community, but little beyond that. The sooner you find an attorney, the better. Once hired, your defense lawyer may convince the prosecutor to drop the charges or at least issue a summons instead of an arrest warrant. For those already in jail, your lawyer can request a release hearing as soon as possible. At that hearing, the lawyer will ask the judge to lower the bond. Bonds range from cash only, ten percent paid to the court, ten percent paid to a bondsman, and release without posting money on your own recognizance (“OR”) or signature only. Under our constitution, a person is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and the bond should be based on being a flight risk or a danger to others.