Legal Question in Criminal Law in Pennsylvania

Hi, My name is Andrea and I am a Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Attorney. I am sorry to hear about your friend's unfortunate circumstances. You are right, Friday is not the best day to find anyone in their office. Your friend might not realize the severity of his situation. When an individual is on parole, they have to walk the straight and narrow, if they want to stay on this side of the fence. He is incorrectly assuming that if he comes up with bail that he will be able to remain free. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, but I cannot say anything for certain and do not want to paint a gloomy picture because I do not have all the facts, such as, what are the circumstances surrounding his present arrest, how long had he been out on parole, can he show that he has taken positive steps in getting his life back on track, etc. He has to keep in mind that if he was doing State time, it was either for a serious felony, or for being a repeat offender. And, if he has never paid his own bail, he does not realize that 20%-30% is always retained for "Administrative fees". Depending on where he is being held right now, the odds of his getting a hearing before Monday morning are pretty low. Again, let me apologize if I appear to be painting a gloomy picture, but I assume you want an honest and accurate Answer. There are just too many variables and your friend does not appear to be taking this very seriously if he thinks that someone can snap their fingers and come up with $300 and that a simple phone call can lift his detainer. I am sorry that I could not give you a more hopeful Answer, but you deserve to know the truth.

Parole will not lift the detainer. His PO will determine what to do and when. There is no reason to pay the bond on the new charge until that happens.