Bail bonds
One of the most scary places you can find yourself in is inside a prison after you have been apprehended and charged with an alleged criminal offense. Things can go south even more if you or your family have no immediate cash on hand to post your bail , which will allow you temporary freedom. During such a difficult moment, you first have to calm yourself, think straight, and opt for the most effective solution: Get in touch with a bail bondsman who can help a lot in getting you released from prison.
You are permitted at least one phone call after your arrest. Use that to get in touch with a loved one and request that person to contact a bail bondsman. Your loved one could visit our site to look for a trustworthy bail bond agent in Lafayette Parish who can then post the required bail on your behalf to secure your freedom.
Why does a judge impose bail ?
The law allows the services of a bail bondsman to post a bail bond, also referred to as surety bond, to help a suspect gain temporary freedom while awaiting their court hearing.
The law allows two types of bail bond-- a criminal bail bond and a civil bail bond.
To make it clear, a court does not impose a criminal bail bond to punish you for your supposed criminal offense. You are still presumed innocent till proven guilty. Having said that, the court needs an assurance that you will appear at trial to face your accuser; hence, the need to post bail. If you attend all your scheduled criminal procedures as required, and you are in the end found not guilty, the bail will be returned to you. If you are condemned, the bail will be used to pay for the penalties and fines that the court might enforce on you. If you miss the court appearances, your bail will be lost and you will be subject to arrest.
The same justification applies to civil bail bonds. The bail enforced on civil cases serves as a guarantee or a surety that the offender will have the ability to pay the penalties and fines that the court can enforce on the offender after the trial.
Why should I care about bail?
Except if you want to stay in prison, you need to make bail. However, not many people are able to afford it, which is why a bail bondsman is vital to anybody who would like to wait for their trial outside of jail.
The exact amount of bail {will vary|depends on a lot of different factors. For instance, two persons who committed the same crime can have very different amounts of bail. This is because the judge will take into consideration your financial circumstances, previous arrests, your roots in the area, and whether or not you are likely to run.
In most states, the rate charged by the bail bondsman is normally 10-20% of the total bail, and this will not be refunded.
Also, the bail bondsman can assist you navigate the complex judicial proceedings. It's easier to hire a bondsman then to deal with the legal system by yourself.
How does the bail bonds process work?
To start the bail bonds process, you first need to get a bail bondsman. You can do that in person, over the phone and even online. Given the stringent adherence to professionalism, a bondsman will happily walk you through the bail procedure and iron out any reservations that you might have.
Time is of the essence during this process. As soon as the bail bondsman answered all of your concerns to your satisfaction, the bail bondsman will handle all of the procedures vital to get you or your loved one released from jail.
To make sure all goes smoothly, a bondsman needs to have the offender's name, birthdate, and the location or city of the arrest. With this info, the agent will be able to gather extra info from the jail system needed to secure the release. After handling all the formalities, the bondsman will visit the prison to get the defendant released.
Utilizing a bondsman to bail out yourself or somebody you know is that easy, you can be out of prison and reunited with your loved ones in a few hours.
Preparing to meet with a bondsman?
You should have have the following details handy when speaking with the bondsman:
- The offender's name
- The prison, city, and county where the offender is held
- The accused's booking number
- The charges against the suspect
- The amount of money of the bail bond
What is accepted as collateral?
In most cases, the bonding company will ask for collateral with the transaction. This is understandable, taking into consideration the risks involved. An inmate is a possible flight risk, and there have been numerous occasions where a bail bondsman had to employ the services of a bounty hunter to recover the fleeing offender.
But what is acceptable as collateral? In a nut-shell, when a bonding company considers an asset valuable, you are able to use it as a guarantee for the bond. Listed below are a some examples:
- Real estate
- Cars
- Equities
- Jewelry
- Electronics
- Bank accounts
- Visa or mastercard
If you have trouble paying for the bond, bonding companies usually have payment plans that you can make use of. Just speak with the bail bondsman to figure out what option is the best one with regard to your situation.
You can use our site to search for a bail bondsman that will be perfect for your needs. Many of them are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready to help you or your loved one to spend the least amount of time in jail as possible.
