Bail bonds
If you are arrested for a major criminal offense, you have to stay in prison while waiting for the bail hearing. During the bail hearing, the judge will determine the bail amount that will get you released from prison. If you or your family has the money, then everything is fine. However, if you don't have any available funds, you are forced to stay in prison while waiting for your court hearing -- a scary prospect to contemplate. Fortunately, there is a way out of your predicament: You or your family can seek help from a bail bondsman who can post your bail to the court, to allow you temporary freedom.
But how do you connect with a bail bondsman ? That's where this website can assist you: We will help you find a trusted and dependable bondsman in Jefferson County who can put up the needed bail to make it possible for you to leave jail.
Use a bail bond to gain temporary freedom after an arrest
The law permits a commercial bonding company to post a bail bond, also known as surety bond, to help individuals apprehended and accused of a crime gain temporarily released from jail while awaiting their trial.
The judicial system allows two kinds of bail -- a criminal bail bond as well as a civil bail bond.
To be clear, a judge does not require a criminal bail bond to penalize you for your supposed crime. You are still innocent up until proven guilty. However, the court needs to have an assurance that you will appear in court to face your accuser; thus, the need to post bail. If you participate in all of your scheduled criminal proceedings as required, and you are in the end acquitted, the bail will be repaid to you. If you are found guilty, the bail will be used to pay for the penalties and fines that the judge may enforce on you. When you miss the court hearings, your bail will be forfeited and you will be subject to getting arrested.
On the other hand, the civil bail bonds imposed on civil cases work as a guarantee or a surety with the court where the financial obligations, claims, and costs imposed on the defendant can be paid from.
How beneficial is a bail bond?
A bail bondsman is your best opportunity to not spend too much time in jail if you don't have sufficient cash available to pay your bail. A bondsman typically requires a non-refundable rate of 10% of the bail. That is just reasonable, considering the risk the bonding company is taking in providing the money. Anyway, the most pressing concern is to get you released from prison, and for that have to search for a reputable bail bondsman in your city.
A contract with a bonding company is also useful since the latter will facilitate your release from prison, simplifying a difficult legal procedure. You can just reach out to a bondsman who will offer you an agreement and ask you to provide the required information about yourself, or a person you want to bail out of jail. When you agree to the agreement, you can simply relax and wait for the bondsman to put up the bail in your place.
Of course you still need to be at your court hearing. But now that you're out on a bond, you can show up in court in civilian clothes. If you had stayed in jail because you could not afford to pay bail, you would appear in court in a prison uniform-- and that's not a pretty sight to see. A bondsman enables you to make a respectable appearance in court, which matters a whole lot because first impressions count.
How does the bail bond process work?
Finding a good bail bondsman is important. Unfortunately, there are deceitful businesses around that exploit unsuspecting people who are already desperate for help.
Make sure you are ready when you contact a bonding company. Ask all questions you might have, and only once all your questions are answered should you take the next steps of hiring them. They can then continue with posting the bail and filing the necessary documents to get you or a family member released from jail.
Going to meet with a bail bondsman?
You should have have the following info on hand when speaking with the bonds agent:
- The suspect's name
- The prison, city, and county where the suspect is committed
- The suspect's booking number
- The charges against the defendant
- The amount of the bail bond
What is accepted as collateral?
In most cases, the bail bondsman requires collateral with the deal. This is reasonable taking into consideration the risks that are involved. A prisoner is a possible flight risk, and are numerous examples where a bonds company had to employ a bounty hunter to recover the fleeing defendant.
But what is accepted as collateral? Basically, if a bonding company considers something valuable, you are able to use it as a guarantee for the bail bond. Below are a number of examples:
- Real estate
- Vehicles
- Shares
- Jewelry
- Electronic devices
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
If you have trouble paying for the bail bond, bonding companies have payment options that you can use. Just talk to the bondsman to determine which option is the best one in your circumstances.
Use our website to look for a bonding company that is perfect for you. Many of them are open 24x7, ready to help you or a family member to spend the least amount of time in prison as possible.
