Violating bail conditions in Rhode Island can cost you your release and add to your legal problems. If you miss a court date, contact someone you were ordered to stay away from, fail a drug test, or pick up a new arrest while out on bail, the court can revoke your release and order you held. You can also lose the money or property posted as security. A new arrest while on bail is especially serious, because Rhode Island allows a person to be held for a period on the existing case when they are charged with a new offense during release. Because a violation can undo the freedom you fought for at the first hearing, it is important to understand every condition attached to your bail and to address any problem through the court rather than by ignoring it.
