Have you had the displeasure of trying to navigate through the US justice system?

If you pulled the "Go Directly to Jail" card in the game of life, it's not as easy as rolling double dice to maneuver out of it like in the game of Monopoly.

Like so many systems in the US, our "justice" system is a tangled web of confusing, inefficient, and downright troubling bureaucracy clearly not designed for human well being. Going to jail can be scary, stressful, disruptive, and overwhelming for both the person arrested and for their loved ones. 

While on the surface the justice system presents itself as if it is a service to society, it is actually a for-profit, private system in which participants (who are generally not there of their own free will) enter a complicated game governed by rules they may not even be aware of in which they are actually assets in a marketplace they probably didn't even know exists.

It is NOT designed for rehabilitation or protection, but has far more nefarious intents. 

We would love to share more about it, but it's a huge topic and we're not going to dive into it all here. For now, suffice it to say our broken justice system is all the more reason to expand the scope of transparent blockchain technology!

In this post, we are going to share a few basics for navigating the system that we have dealt with through Quinn's recent bogus arrest in Tarrant County, Texas, because knowledge is power.

If you or someone you know ever gets arrested, below is some useful knowledge to help you reclaim your freedom:

When someone is arrested, they are taken to some sort of detention center or jail.

How to get out of the slammer

There are a few options for getting released, depending on the rules of the county they are in:

1. Some jurisdictions have a “bail schedule”, which is basically just a list of bail amounts pre-set for specific crimes. In that instance, you might be able to just pay the bail schedule amount at the county courthouse and be on your way. The down side to this is you do have to pay the full amount of bail, usually in cash. 💵
   
2. If you have a little free time, and want to make some new and interesting friends, then you can wait around in jail for a bail hearing.
   

A few things can happen at a bail hearing:

1. Best case scenario is the judge will allow you to be ROR (Release on your Own Recognizance). That doesn’t require you to pay anything, and is basically a promise (with civil or criminal punishable implications) that you will fulfill your obligation to return for trial, etc. There are a lot of factors that determine if a judge will allow this, and ultimately it's at their sole discretion.
   
2. Probably the second best option is that a personal bond can be approved by Pretrial Services (or similar group per jurisdiction). If a personal bond is issued the cost is much lower than a bail amount. In Tarrant County, Texas, a personal bond can be $20 or 3% of bail, whichever is great, but is not applicable to charges of violent crimes. The major downside to this is that you have to check in with them on a regular schedule until the court proceedings are complete.
   
3. Another possible outcome is that the judge will set a bail amount.
   
4. Another outcome of a bail hearing may be that the judge refuses bail and remands you to custody. This is a huge bummer and usually imposed when you are deemed too high a flight risk or danger to the community. Get comfy because you will be there while the slow moving wheels of justice chug along.

If a bail amount is set, then you have a few options:

1. Pay the bail amount in full to the court either by cash/check (often no credit cards allowed). Once all court proceedings are finished and all bail parameters are met, you should get your bail cost back in full - whether you are found innocent or guilty.
   
2. Give the court a security interest in property by signing over a deed or title to home or assets. This is basically a lien on property you own until court proceedings are complete, and you won't be able to sell that property during that time.
   
3. Last but not least, you can contact a bail bondsmen and get a surety bond. You will pay a percentage of the bail with cash/check/ or sometimes credit cards, and the rest in collateral which varies by bondsmen. The principle dollar amount you pay, usually 10% - 20% of bail, is kept as the bondsman's fee, and the remaining collateral will be returned once the court proceedings are fulfilled.

Helpful information you should have before starting any of these process:

• Full Name of the person in jail
• Date of Birth of the person in jail
• Jail Location they are being held at
• Booking Number or CID number
• Charges against them

Definitions

Bail Schedule - refers to the list that sets the amount of bail a defendant is required to pay.

Bail Hearing - a court process in which a judge will determine whether or not to allow a defendant to post bail and be released from jail for the duration of his or her trial.

ROR - release on your own recognizance (ROR), also known as an own recognizance (OR) or personal recognizance (PR), is a written promise signed by the defendant promising that they will show up for future court appearances and not engage in illegal activity while out on an ROR.

Personal Bond - a bond stating a criminal defendant will appear at all future court dates. The accused doesn't have to post bail, but will forfeit the amount in the bond if the promise to appear is broken. It is also known as a release on recognizance bond.

Pretrial Services Program - The process has three primary functions: to collect and analyze defendant information for use in determining risk, to make recommendations to the court concerning conditions of release, and to supervise defendants who are released from secure custody during the pretrial phase.

Bail - the temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial, sometimes on condition that a sum of money be lodged to guarantee their appearance in court.

Bail Amount - the money or bond put up to secure the release of a person who has been charged with a crime. 

Bond - A written promise to pay or forfeit money or perform some act upon the occurrence or nonoccurrence of a specific act or the passage of a specified amount of time.

Security Interest - Enforceable claim or lien created by a security agreement, or by the operation of law, that secures the fulfillment of a pledge.

Surety Bond - a legally binding contract that ensures obligations will be met between three parties: The principal: whoever needs the bond, The obligee: the one requiring the bond, The surety: the insurance company guaranteeing the principal can fulfill the obligations

Bail Bondsman - a person who charges a fee to criminal defendants in exchange for standing as surety for their bail.

In conclusion, it is always best to do your own research and/or seek legal advice whenever confronted with a situation that lands you in the big house. Hopefully this basic information will get you headed in the right direction to make that happen!

We do not give legal advice, and are only sharing experience and research. A with everything, we encourage you to do your own research! Here are more resources to research for yourself:
https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/criminal/criminal-law-basics/posting-bail-what-are-your-options.html
https://www.tarrantcounty.com/en/pretrial-services/frequently-asked-questions.html
https://www.justia.com/criminal/bail-bonds/
https://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-procedure/getting-out-of-jail-after-you-have-been-arrested.html

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Please share our press release with your own network to help us get eyes on this issue:

Garden of Eden Founder Quinn Eaker Stabbed Multiple Times On His Own Land

Assailant Walks Free After Another Botched And Bungled Operation From The Arlington Police Department

[ARLINGTON, TEXAS] -- Quinn Eaker, founder of the humanitarian project the Garden of Eden that feeds tens of thousands of free meals a year, clothes, shelters, educates, and provides healing space for people in need, was stabbed 8 times in the early morning hours of May 23 by a homeless man for whom he had provided refuge.

Eaker, 35, is in stable condition, despite being locked in a police car for more than 30 minutes while he bled without attendance. He was further denied access to medical care of his choosing.

Assailant Heath Archer, who first pepper sprayed Eaker before repeatedly stabbing him, called the police then disappeared for 2 hours before showing up with an unexplained wound to the forearm that was unsubstantiated by witness accounts.

Archer remains free, despite Eaker’s request to press charges and file a restraining order.

In an appalling and unjustified turn of events for which no probable cause has been presented, Eaker was arrested and removed from his own property.

In yet another example of gross misconduct on behalf of the Arlington Police Department, the ensuing investigation of the incident was a laundry list of rights violations: search without a warrant, arrest without reading rights, coercion, intimidation, manipulation, lying, failure to properly secure a crime scene, trespassing, failure to follow due process, and failure to conduct due diligence.

Eaker was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and has since been released on bond.

Unfortunately this is not the first or worst of the Arlington Police Department’s gross abuse of power as they repeatedly target Eaker with corrupt and unlawful attacks, such as the the bogus SWAT raid on the property and terrorization of its residents in August 2013. This latest grievous injustice is another illustration of malicious intent from the City of Arlington, which is already facing an ongoing $5 million civil suit from residents of the Garden of Eden.

Significant portions of the investigation were videoed, photographed, and witnessed by residents of the Garden of Eden and will be released as public record on the censorship resistant Steem blockchain, as well as used in lawsuits against Heath Archer and the Arlington Police Department.

The Garden of Eden is a non-profit and sustainable community dedicated to building a better world for all.

GRAPHIC PHOTO FOLLOWS

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We have had numerous requests asking how people can be of service to help @quinneaker and our community @gardenofeden, and we are extremely grateful for that support!! Here's what you can do to help:

1. Send good vibes! Prayer, dancing, meditating, chanting - anything you do to activate that light & love force of LIFE, please send some to @quinneaker for a speedy, easy healing!
   
2. PLEASE SHARE these posts by resteeming on the blockchain and through other media outlets!!
   
3. Donate to Quinn's Freedom Fund in fiat using the Donate button at the top of our homepage: www.intothegardenofeden.com
   
4. Donate to Quinn's Freedom Fund in crypto through a free and instantaneous transfer here on the Steem blockchain, or send
   
   BTC 1MkEBgUSSd41jGzeAHP4HPhoFRLeb2UU4H
   
   LTC  Levh2ph11Bmsi3aPw3dB6jazvpGfMwKceW
   
   EOS or ETH  0x8F7bd2F6Cc132c62C3E9D7CC7f9aaB2c0ED84491
   
5. We need a civil prosecutor AND a criminal defense lawyer! If you are an honorable lawyer or have a great recommendation for one, please contact us. 

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!

For now, instead of giving away all of our resources towards helping others and providing free food, clothing, and shelter to anyone as we have for the past decade, we are now redirecting everything we have towards keeping Quinn out of jail.

www.intothegardenofeden.com

A better world IS possible~*~