Bail bonds
Essentially, a bail bond is a kind of promise that you are going to attend the hearing at the date specified. In return, you will be permitted to walk free even if you are still awaiting trial for a criminal or civil charge. Otherwise, you will sit in prison while awaiting the court to rule on a verdict. A bail bondsman can pay bail for you and get you out of prison.
Depending on the allegation, the amount of bail could be steep. Very few suspects have the ability to put up the bail bond. Certainly there's a good reason why the correctional system is overburdened. However, there's a legal manner in which to gain your temporary release from prison even if your lawsuit is ongoing. Using our website you can look for a credible bondsman in Cobb County.
Why does a judge impose bail ?
The law permits the services of a bail bondsman to post a bail bond, also referred to as surety bond, to help a defendant get temporary freedom while waiting for their court hearing.
The law allows two types of bail -- a criminal bail bond as well as a civil bail bond.
To be clear, a judge does not impose a criminal bail bond to punish you for your alleged criminal offense. You are still innocent up until proven guilty. However, the judge requires an assurance that you will appear in court to face your accuser; thus, the requirement to post bail. If you show up at all of your arranged criminal proceedings as required, and you are eventually found not guilty, the bail will be repaid to you. In case you are found guilty, the bail will be used to cover the penalties and fines that the judge may enforce on you. When you miss the court hearings, the bail will be forfeited and you will be subject to getting arrested.
The same justification applies to civil bail bonds. The bail imposed on civil cases works as an assurance or a surety that the defendant will have the ability to pay the fines and penalties that the judge might impose on the suspect after the trial.
How beneficial is a bail bond?
A bondsman is your best opportunity to not spend considerable time in prison in case you don't have enough cash available to pay your bail. A bonding company usually charges a non-refundable rate of 10% of the total bail. That is just reasonable, looking at the risk the company is taking in putting up the money. In any case, the most important thing is to get you out of prison, and for that to happen you need to find a reliable bondsman in your city.
A deal with a bonding company is also helpful given that the latter can facilitate your release from prison, simplifying a complex legal procedure. You can just contact a bail agent who can provide you an agreement and ask you to provide the needed information about yourself, or somebody you want to bail out of prison. If you agree to the agreement, you can just relax and wait for the bonding company to put up the bail in your place.
Of course you still need to be at your hearing. However, now that you're free on bail, you can appear in court in civilian clothes. If you had stayed in jail for failure to put up bail, you would appear in court in a prison jumpsuit -- and that does not make a good impression. A bail bondsman enables you to have a respectable appearance in court, which really matters a lot given that first impressions matter.
How the bail bonds process works
Remember this: When you are arrested and taken into custody for an alleged criminal offense, straight away demand for an attorney to represent you and protect your civil rights. Furthermore, get in touch with a reliable family member to get in touch with a bondsman to initiate the bail bonds procedure. As soon as this is done, the bonding company will require answers to simple questions like the accused's name, date of birth, and the place or city of the arrest. The bail bondsman will then propose to put up the bail money in your place in return for an affordable service fee. Once the agreement is made, the bondsman will move forward with the steps to secure your release. In a matter of hours, following the actions taken by your bail bondsman, you can walk out of jail, a free man once more.
What info does a bonding company need?
When you get in touch with a bonding company, they will ask for:
- The full name and age of the accused
- The location where the defendant is locked up
- The booking number and the charge
What is accepted as collateral?
In most cases, the bail bondsman requires collateral with the deal. This is understandable, taking into account the risks that are involved. An inmate is a flight risk, and there have been plenty of examples where a bail bondsman needed to employ a bounty hunter to bring back the fleeing suspect.
But what is acceptable as collateral? Basically, if a bondsman considers something valuable, you are able to use it as collateral for the bail. Listed below are a few examples:
- Realty
- Cars
- Stocks
- Jewelry
- Electronics
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
If you find that the bond is too steep, bail bonds companies have payment plans that you can use. Simply talk to the bail bondsman to figure out which option is best suited in your situation.
Use our website to search for a bonding company that is perfect for you. Many of them are open day and night, ready to assist you or a friend to spend the least amount of time in prison as possible.
