Sisters convicted in Jacksonville shooting are out on bond until June sentencing

Two Jacksonville women convicted of shooting their niece are out of custody while awaiting their prison sentences, an uncommon occurrence in a Jacksonville Gun Crimes case. Joyce Williams was convicted of attempted murder and carrying a concealed weapon. She is facing between 25 years and life in prison when she in sentenced in June, according to a report on News4Jax. Her sister Joycelyn Glover was convicted of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and faces at least five years in prison in this Jacksonville Gun Crimes case.

In many cases, defendants are out on bond before they go to trial. If they are convicted, the judge usually orders the person into custody immediately, especially in a Jacksonville Violent Crimes Case where people are facing significant time behind bars. Sentencings are typically delayed at least a month following a trial, but in most cases the defendant is in the county jail until the sentence is announced. That time in jail is then credited to the overall sentence, just as the time is when someone is awaiting trial if they have not bonded out. The decision of whether or not to remand a person immediately into custody is strictly the judge’s decision. The judge must weigh whether he or she deems the defendant to be a risk to take off and not report for sentencing. The decision is similar to one a judge must make in determining whether to set a bond in any Jacksonville criminal case.

The real number to pay attention to in a bond is 10 percent – that’s the amount of the bond needed to get a bondsman to post the bail for you or your loved one. So, is the bond is $5,000, it would take $500 to get out of jail. When setting a bond, the judge often includes some type of monitoring requirements, such as house arrest or restricting travel within the state of Florida. Being out of jail awaiting trial is obviously ideal for most defendants. It can allow them to continue to work, especially important if their case involved fines or paying restitution, which is common in Jacksonville Theft Cases. In this Jacksonville Gun Crimes case, it allows the sisters to make arrangements for family members and such or tie up any loose ends before they are sent to prison – one for at least 25 years, the other for at least five. Judges typically force the person into custody to eliminate the possibility of the person leaving town or committing another crime before they are sentenced. It will be interesting to see after this Jacksonville Gun Crimes sentencing if other local judges end up taking a similar path in terms of allowing people to report back for sentencing.

If you or a loved one needs a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm at (904) 365-5200 for a FREE CONSULTATION. Our Jacksonville Gun Crimes Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.