If you have been arrested and found yourself negotiating a bond release, you may find that the court, and your bail bondsman, request ankle bracelet monitoring for the duration of your bond. For those who have never found themselves in this situation, you may be confused and uncertain about what to expect. Here is some information to help you understand the process.

Who Orders An Ankle Monitor?

You might think that your bail bondsman will be the one to request the monitor. After all, the bondsman is financially on the hook for you to ensure that you appear in court. However, while the bondsman may make a recommendation or request to the court, he or she isn't the one who will actually order its use. The judge will be the one who mandates the ankle bracelet if he or she deems it necessary.

What Limitations Come With An Ankle Monitor?

If the judge requires you to wear an ankle monitor, it will come with conditions. Your adherence to those conditions will be closely monitored by your bail bondsman. He or she will be the one to keep track of your ankle monitor's tracking and your location.

You need to understand the limitations that are bound to your ankle monitoring order. Some of the things that you may expect include curfews and proximity restrictions. If you are on house arrest or you've been prohibited from certain areas, your proximity restrictions may include not being more than a certain distance from your home or within a certain distance of the area you're prohibited from.

You may also be restricted from consuming alcohol under the terms of your bond release. This is most often mandated when you've been arrested on an alcohol-related charge, such as driving under the influence.

What Can You Expect From The Ankle Monitor?

For the most part, your ankle monitor will just be there, and you won't really notice much from it. However, if you step out of the GPS-mandated perimeter, it may beep at you and flash a warning light. For rechargeable units, it will likely beep if the battery is low and you need to charge it. In addition, if your ankle monitor has a two-way connection to your bondsman, he or she may communicate with you through it, such as with alerts if you are due to call and check in.

What Things Should You Never Do With An Ankle Monitor?

There are certain things that you should never do with your ankle monitor. Any kind of physical manipulation can prove problematic for your monitor. You likely know that you should never take the monitor off, but you should also never mess with the strap on the monitor. Don't cut it or otherwise physically damage it. Similarly, you should never try to alter the monitor's box either. The box is an enclosed compartment, and if you try to pry it open or smash it against anything, it will damage it, and that will trigger an alert to the court as well as your bail bondsman. Things like this can result in your bail bond being revoked, which will land you back in court and potentially in jail until your case is heard.

You should also be cautious about your monitor around water. While you can safely shower with it on, you shouldn't submerge it in any kind of water for a prolonged period. While the ankle bracelet will be sealed to some degree, submersion in water for too long will cause it to malfunction, which will trigger an alert and cause you to have to answer to your bondsman and the court.