Bail bonds
If a suspect is detained, he or she will need to spend time in prison while awaiting their bail hearing. This hearing is a procedure where the court will determine the amount that serves as a guarantee to the court for the temporary liberty of the defendant. But not everyone can come up with the requested amount, and then he or she will have to stay in jail during the course of the lawsuit. Fortunately, {it is possible to enlist the services of|you can make use of the services of a bail bondsman to cover the bail.
We will help you find professional bail bondsmen in Woodbury that will make sure that you or your loved ones can be out of prison, at least until the sentencing.
Why does a judge impose bail ?
The law permits the services of a commercial bonding company to post a bail bond, also called surety bond, to help an offender get temporary freedom while waiting for their court hearing.
The law allows two kinds of bail -- a criminal bail bond as well as 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. That being said, the judge needs to have a guarantee that you will show up in court to face your accuser; thus, the need to post bail. If you show up at all of your scheduled criminal proceedings as promised, and you are in the end acquitted, the bail amount will be given back to you. If you are condemned, the bail money will be used to pay for the fines and penalties that the judge might impose on you. If you skip the court appearances, the bail will be forfeited and you will be subject to arrest.
The same reasoning applies with the civil bail bonds. The bail imposed on civil cases functions as a guarantee or a surety that the accused will be capable to pay the penalties and fines that the judge may enforce on the accused after the trial.
How helpful is a bail bond?
A bondsman is your best opportunity to not spend too much time in prison when you don't have enough cash available for bail. A bail bondsman typically charges a non-refundable rate of 10% of the bail. That is no more than reasonable, looking at the risk the bonding company is taking in providing the bond. Anyway, the most important thing is to get you released from jail, and for that to happen have to find a reliable bonding company in your city.
An agreement with a bail bondsman is also helpful since the latter can help with your release from jail, simplifying a difficult judicial process. You can just reach out to a bail agent who can provide you an agreement and ask you to give the relevant information about yourself, or an individual you would like to bail out of jail. When you agree to the contract, you can simply relax and wait for the bail bondsman to put up the bail on your behalf.
Of course you still have to be at your trial. But now that you're out on a bond, you can show up in court in your own clothes. When you had stayed in prison for failure to pay bail, you would appear in court in a jail jumpsuit -- and that does not make a good impression. A bail bondsman enables you to make a respectable appearance in the courtroom, which really matters a whole lot because first impressions matter.
Here's how the bail bonds process works
In the event that you get detained and accused of an alleged criminal offense, the very first thing that you should do is to get in touch with a good attorney and someone, perhaps the attorney himself, who can get you in touch with a bondsman to start the bail bonds procedure. You or your representative can work with the bondsman who is going to ask you common questions like the accused's name, birthdate, and the place or city where the arrest was made. The bail bondsman will then offer you an agreement for posting your bail . Upon your approval of the agreement, the bondsman will take care of all the procedures to to get you released from prison. With the help of the bail bondsman, you can walk out of prison and enjoy the company of your loved ones once more.
What details does a bonding company need?
When you speak with a bondsman, they will want to know:
- The full name and age of the suspect
- The prison where the defendant is locked up
- The booking number and the charge
What is accepted as collateral?
Almost always, the bonding company will ask for collateral with the transaction. This is reasonable taking into consideration the risks that are involved. A prisoner is a flight risk, and there have been plenty of occasions where a bondsman had to employ a bounty hunter to bring back the fleeing suspect.
But what is acceptable as collateral? Essentially, when a bondsman considers an asset valuable, you are able to use it as a guarantee for the bond. Below are a number of examples:
- Realty
- Vehicles
- Equities
- Jewelry
- Electronic devices
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
If you can't afford the bail bond right now, bail bonds companies often offer payment plans that you can use. Just talk to the bondsman to determine which option is best suited when it comes to your situation.
You can use this site to find a bonding company that is perfect for your needs. Most of them are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready to help you or a family member to spend the least amount of time in prison as possible.
