Bail bonds
In its essence, a bail bond is a type of guarantee that you will attend your trial at the specified date. In return, you will be allowed to remain free despite the fact that you are still awaiting trial for a civil or criminal charge. Without a bail bond, you will sit in prison while waiting on the court to decide on either conviction or acquittal. A bondsman can post bail for you and get you released from prison.
Depending on the charge, the cost of bail can be expensive. Not a lot of suspects can pay the bond. Certainly there's a good reason why the correctional system is overburdened. However, there's a legal way to gain your temporary release even while your lawsuit is still in progress. With our website you can look for a reputable bail bondsman in O'Fallon.
What is bail?
When you or your loved one lands in jail, the first order of business is leaving jail . Depending on the number of cases, the court may not be able to take your case in weeks or months. All that time, you will stay imprisoned except when you make bail.
There are a number of factors that can affect the bail amount, and whether your case is bailable to begin with). For instance, the court will look at your criminal record, the seriousness of the criminal offense you are accused of, if you are likely to skip and if you can pay for the bail.
How helpful is a bail bond?
A bonding company is your best opportunity to not spend too much time in prison in case you don't have sufficient money available to pay your bail. A bondsman usually asks for a non-refundable rate of 10% of the bail. That is just fair, considering the risk the bondsman is taking in putting up the bond. In any case, the most important thing is to get you released from prison, and for that to happen have to find a reliable bonding company in your city.
An agreement with a bail bondsman is also handy given that they will facilitate your release from jail, simplifying a complex judicial process. You can just reach out to a bondsman who will provide you an agreement and ask you to provide the necessary info about yourself, or somebody you intend to bail out. When you agree to the deal, you can simply sit tight and wait for the bail bondsman to pay the bail on your behalf.
Obviously you still have to be at your hearing. However, now that you're out on bail, you can show up in court in your own clothes. When you had stayed in prison because you could not pay bail, you would show up in court in a jail uniform-- and that does not make a good impression. A bail bondsman enables you to make a respectable appearance in court, which really matters a whole lot because first impressions count.
How does the bail bonds process work
Keep in mind: When you get arrested and taken into custody for an alleged criminal offense, immediately ask for a lawyer to work with you and protect your legal rights. Furthermore, call a trusted family member to link you up with a bonding company to begin the bail procedure. When this contact is made, the bonding company will want answers to general questions such as the accused's name, birthdate, and the location or city of the arrest. The bail bondsman will then offer to pay the bail on your behalf in return for a service fee. As soon as the deal is made, the bonding company will continue with the actions to have you released from jail. In a matter of hours, following the actions taken by your bondsman, you can walk out of prison, a free man once more.
What your bail bondsman needs to have from you
After you or a friend get in touch with a bail bondsman, they will ask the following questions:
- The name of the accused
- The name and location of the jail where the accused is detained
- The booking number in the police blotter
- The charges filed against the offender
- Any other important details
What is accepted as collateral?
Almost always, the bail bondsman will require collateral with the deal. This is reasonable taking into consideration the risks that are involved. An inmate is a possible flight risk, and there have been countless examples where a bail bondsman had to employ a bounty hunter to bring back the fleeing suspect.
But what is accepted as collateral? In a nut-shell, when a bondsman considers something valuable, you are able to use it as a guarantee for the bond. Below are a couple of examples:
- Realty
- Automobiles
- Shares
- Jewelry
- Electronics
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
If you find that the bond is too steep, bonding companies often offer payment options that you can use. Simply talk to the bondsman to figure out what option is best suited with regard to your circumstances.
You can use this website to find a bondsman that will be perfect for your needs. Most of them operate 24x7, ready to help you or a family member to spend the least amount of time in jail as possible.
