Pretrial Services - Frequently Asked Questions

A person's first court hearing is typically held within 24 hours to 48 hours after arrest. This hearing is called the First Appearance and is held Mondays through Saturdays.

The judge determines if the defendant shall be detained or released, and if released, the conditions under which a person will be released from custody, attorneys may be appointed (if appropriate), and the next court date will be set.

ROR means that you are released from custody on your promise to appear in court for all future hearings.

* UJR stands for “Unsecured Judicial Release”

When a judge releases a person to the custody of Pretrial Services, that person must report to the Supervision Unit and comply with any conditions of release set by the judge or Pretrial Services. Pretrial Services is responsible for monitoring the person's compliance with the release conditions until disposition of the case.

Pretrial Services is responsible for notifying the court of the person's non-compliance, and the judge may order that person’s bond be revoked and be returned to jail.

The bond can be posted directly with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office if the person has cash for the full amount of the bond. If not, the person can use a bondsman who will require that the person post 10% to 15% of the bond in cash (this is the bondsman's fee and will not be returned) and use personal collateral for the balance of the bond.