Bail bonds
Among the most frightening places you can end up in is inside a prison after you have been apprehended and accused of an supposed crime. Things can go wrong even more if you or your family have no immediate cash available to post your bail , which will allow you temporary freedom. In such a challenging moment, you first have to relax yourself, think clear, and choose the most effective solution: Contact a bail bondsman who can really help a lot in getting you released from prison.
You are permitted at least one phone call following your arrest. Use that to get in touch with a family member and request that person to reach out to a bail bond agent. Your family member could visit our site to search for a reliable bail bondsman in Merced who can then post the required bail in your place to secure your freedom.
Use a bail bond to gain temporary freedom after an arrest
The judicial system permits a bondsman to put up a bail bond, also called surety bond, to help people apprehended and charged with a crime gain temporarily released from jail while awaiting their court appearance.
The legal system allows two sorts of bail -- a criminal bail bond as well as a civil bail bond.
To make it clear, a judge does not impose a criminal bail bond to penalize you for your alleged crime. You are still innocent up until proven guilty. Nonetheless, the judge needs to have a guarantee that you will appear at trial to face your accuser; thus, the need to post bail. If you attend all of your scheduled criminal proceedings as promised, and you are in the end found not guilty, the bail will be returned to you. In case you are condemned, the bail will be used to pay for the fines and penalties that the court may impose on you. When you skip the court hearings, your bail will be forfeited and you will be subject to getting arrested.
On the other hand, the civil bail bonds enforced on civil cases work as an assurance or a surety with the court where the financial obligations, claims, and costs imposed on the accused can be drawn from.
Do I need to hire a bondsman?
When you are able to post bail on your own, you certainly don't need to have to work with a bondsman. For one, they ask a small charge for their assistance, as well as the collateral you must provide for what is undoubtedly categorized as a loan.
In nearly all states, the bail bondsman will charge around 10-20% of the total amount of the bond. You can't get this money back even if you are acquitted of the charge. On the upside, you don't need to stress over submitting the paperwork or need to deal with court staff since the bonding company will handle all that for you. Second, you will have a better chance of having your bail request accepted by virtue of the reputation of the bail bondsman alone. Third, because of their familiarity with the process, you can possibly be out of prison in a couple of hours.
Finally, the bonding company knows the advantage of a good impression on the judge and jury. When you are committed to the local or federal prison, you are going to be transported to the courthouse in the official prisoner's jumpsuit. On the other hand, when you are out on bail, you are able to dress well and ensure a good impression on the court.
How the bail bonds process works
To begin the bail bonds procedure, you first have to look for a bail agent. You can do that in person, over the phone and even via the internet. Given the strict adherence to professionalism, a bail bondsman will gladly walk you through the bail bond procedure and settle any doubts that you might have.
Time is of the essence during this process. Once the bail agent answered all of your questions to your satisfaction, the bail agent will handle all of the formalities vital to get you or your loved one released from prison.
To make sure all goes well, a bail bondsman needs to know the accused's name, birthdate, and the location or area of the arrest. With this information, the bondsman will have the ability to gather additional information from the prison system required to secure the release. After handling all the formalities, the bail bondsman will visit the prison to get the accused released.
Using a bonding company to bail out yourself or someone you love is that straightforward, you can be out of prison and reunited with your loved ones in a matter of hours.
What info does a bondsman need?
When you contact a bondsman, they will want to know:
- The full name and age of the suspect
- The location where the defendant is locked up
- The booking number and the charges
Will the bondsman need collateral ?
If a bonding company will ask for collateral for posting bail will vary between cases, but it is a common practice in the industry. As for the kind 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 something is valueable, it can be acceptable as collateral. Below are just a few examples:
- House or property
- Cars, boats, yachts
- Jewelry or gemstones
- Shares, stocks or equities
- Bank accounts
- TV, appliances or gadgets
- Antiques or art
- Farm equipment
And if available, you could also make use of payment options offered by a bonding company.
If you or your loved ones are in danger of remaining in jail for a long time because you can not get the bail amount, a bondsman is the only option that is left. On our website you can find a bonding company in Merced. Many of them available day and night.
