Bail bonds
If you are arrested for a major criminal offense, you need to remain in jail while awaiting the bail hearing. During the bail hearing, the judge will determine the amount of bail that will get you released from prison. If you or a friend has the money, then there's no problem. However, if you don't have any available funds, you are forced to stay behind bars while waiting for your court hearing -- a scary prospect to consider. Thankfully, there is a way out of your predicament: You or your family can seek assistance from a bail bondsman that can put up your bail to the court, to allow you temporary freedom.
But how do you contact a bondsman ? That's where our site can assist you: We can help you locate a trustworthy and dependable bonding company in Washington County who can pay the required bail to make it possible for you to leave jail.
Use a bail bond to gain temporary freedom after getting arrested
The legal system permits a commercial bonding company to post a bail bond, also called surety bond, to help persons apprehended and accused of a crime gain temporary freedom while awaiting their trial.
The law allows two sorts of bail bond-- a criminal bail bond and a civil bail bond.
To make it clear, a court does not require a criminal bail bond to punish you for your supposed crime. You are still innocent up until proven guilty. Nevertheless, the court requires a guarantee that you will show up at trial to face your accuser; therefore, the requirement to post bail. If you attend all of your scheduled criminal proceedings as required, and you are eventually acquitted, the bail will be repaid to you. In case you are found guilty, the bail money will be used to take care of the fines and penalties that the court may enforce on you. When you skip the court appearances, your bail will be forfeited and you will be subject to getting arrested.
However, the civil bail bonds enforced on civil cases function as an assurance or a surety with the court where the financial obligations, claims, and costs enforced on the defendant can be drawn from.
Should I hire a bail bondsman?
When you are able to post bail by yourself, you certainly don't need to hire a bail bondsman. For one, they require a fee for their assistance, as well as the collateral you need to provide for what is undoubtedly classified as a loan.
In nearly all states, the bondsman will charge a rate of around 10-20% of the total amount of the bond. You will not get this refunded even if you are cleared of the offense. On the upside, you do not need to bother with filing the necessary documents or dealing with court staff since the bail bondsman will handle everything for you. Secondly, you will have a better prospect of getting your bail request accepted because of the reputation of the bondsman alone. Lastly, due to their experience with the process, you can possibly be out of jail in a matter of hours .
Finally, the bail bondsman knows the importance of a good first impression on the judge and jury. When you are transferred to the local or federal jail, you are going to be hauled to the courtroom in the official inmate's jumpsuit. In contrast, if you are out on a bail bond, you are able to dress well and make a good impression on the court.
Here's how the bail bonds process works
In case you are detained and accused of a supposed crime, the first thing that you should do is to contact a good attorney and someone, perhaps the attorney himself, that can connect you to a bail agent to start the bail bonds procedure. You or your representative can work with the bondsman who is going to ask you basic questions such as the suspect's name, date of birth, and the location or city where the arrest was made. The bail bondsman will then give you an agreement for putting up your bail . When you agree with the arrangement, the bail bondsman will handle all the procedures to to get you released from prison. With the aid of the bondsman, you can leave jail and be in the c ompany of your friends and family once again.
What your bondsman needs to know about you
When you or a friend get in contact with a bail bondsman, they will ask for the following details:
- The name of the offender
- The name and location of the prison where the accused is detained
- The booking number in the police blotter
- The complaints filed against the defendant
- Any extra related information
Will the bail bondsman require collateral ?
If a bail bondsman will want collateral for will vary between cases, however, it is common in the business. Regarding the sort of collateral that is accepted, the list is just way too long to mention all. Suffice to say that if a bail bondsman believes that an item has value, it could be acceptable as collateral. Listed below are just some examples:
- Real estate or property
- Vehicles, boats, yachts
- Jewelry or gemstones
- Shares, stocks or equities
- Bank accounts
- TV, appliances or other devices
- Antiques or art collections
- Farm equipment
And when available, you could also make use of payment plans provided by a bail bondsman.
If you or your loved ones are in danger of remaining in prison for a long time because you can not get the amount, a bail bondsman is the only course of action that is left. By using our site you can search for a bondsman in Washington County. Many of them are open for business 24x7.
