Past experience. If the defendant already has a criminal history, the bail will be set lower. This is especially true if the accused has had DUI charges in the past ten years, and it is an offense that seems to continuously occur. 

The bail schedule. This is a predetermined schedule that outlines certain common crimes and their typical bail amount. A judge may increase or decrease that bail from this amount during trial.

The incident itself. What occurred during the incident? If there was any type of damage or anyone was hurt, the bail will be higher. This includes examples like if a drunk driver runs into a pole in the middle of town, or if the driver hits another driver, increasing the chances of that other person to be injured or even dead. 

Call a professional. The first step in this process is to call a professional for help. They'll be able to start the process quickly, and answer any questions you may have. 

Fill out the important forms. There are a variety of forms that must be filled out before the accused can be released. This includes the defendant authorization form, which essentially says that you are allowing our bail bonds company to execute a bond for you; a payment agreement contract, which outlines who is paying and their payment information, how much the down payment is, and other general payment information like that; a credit card authorization contract, which contains all credit card information from whoever is paying for the bail. Sometimes, a co-signer agreement form is also necessary, which holds the co-signer responsible if the accused does not show up for court.

The accused is released. Once bail is paid for and taken care of, the suspect will be free until trial!