Bail bonds
In its essence, a bail bond is a sort of guarantee that you will attend the trial at the specified date. In return, you are allowed to walk free despite the fact that you are still undergoing trial for a civil or criminal charge. Alternatively, you will remain prison while awaiting the court to decide on either conviction or acquittal. A bail bondsman can pay bail for you and get you released from jail.
Depending upon the charge, the amount of bail can be expensive. Few suspects can put up the bail bond. Certainly there's a good reason why the correctional system is overburdened. However, there's a lawful solution to gain your temporary freedom even while your case is on-going. Using our website you can look for a reputable bondsman in Jackson County.
Use a bail bond to gain temporary freedom after getting arrested
The legal system allows a commercial bonding company to put up a bail bond, also called surety bond, to help those apprehended and accused of a criminal offense gain temporarily released from prison while awaiting their court hearing.
The legal system allows two kinds of bail bond-- 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 crime. You are still innocent up until proven guilty. Having said that, the court needs to have an assurance that you will show up at trial to face your accuser; thus, the need to post bail. If you participate in all your arranged criminal procedures as promised, and you are eventually found not guilty, the bail will be returned 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 might enforce on you. If you skip the court hearings, your bail will be lost and you will be subject to getting arrested.
On the other hand, the civil bail bonds imposed on civil cases function as a guarantee or a surety with the court where the debts, interests, and fees imposed on the offender can be paid from.
Should I hire a bail bondsman?
If you are able to put up bail by yourself, you certainly don't have to hire a bail bondsman. For one, they ask a charge for their service, not to mention the collateral you need to provide for what is definitely categorized as a loan.
In nearly all states, the bonding company 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 acquitted of the charge. On the upside, you do not need to bother with filing the paperwork or need to deal with court personnel since the bonding company will handle everything for you. Second, you will have a better chance of having your bail request accepted by virtue of the credibility and reputation of the bondsman alone. Thirdly, due to their experience with the process, you can be released from jail in a couple of hours.
And lastly, the bondsman understands the advantage of a good first impression while appearing in court. If you are committed to the regional or federal prison, you are going to be transported to court in the official prisoner's jumpsuit. On the other hand, if you made bail, you are able to dress smartly and ensure a good first impression on the court.
How does the bail bond process work?
Choosing a good bail bondsman is important. Sadly, there are dishonest individuals around who exploit unsuspecting families who are already desperate .
Make sure you are ready when you speak with a bail bondsman. Ask all your questions, and only after all your doubts are quelled should you take the next steps of employing them. They can then continue with posting the bail and submitting the necessary documents to get you or a friend released from prison.
Going to meet with a bail bondsman?
You need to have the following relevant information handy when speaking with the bail bondsman:
- The defendant's name
- The jail, city, and county where the defendant is held
- The offender's booking number
- The charges the offender is facing
- The amount of money of the bail
Will the bail bondsman require collateral ?
Whether or not a bondsman will want collateral for providing bail differs between cases, but it is a common practice in the industry. Regarding the type of collateral that is accepted, the list is simply far too long to mention all of it. But if a bail bondsman believes that something is valueable, it can be used as collateral. Below are just a few examples:
- Real estate or land
- Vehicles, boats, yachts
- Jewelry or gemstones
- Shares, stocks or equities
- Bank accounts
- TV, appliances or gadgets
- Antiques or art
- Farm equipment
And if available, you can also take advantage of payment plans provided by a bondsman.
If you or your loved ones run the risk of remaining in jail for quite some time simply because you can't raise the amount, a bail bondsman is the only alternative that is left. On our site you can look for a bondsman in Jackson County. A lot of them are open for business 24x7.
