Bail bonds
If a suspect is arrested, he or she will need to spend time behind bars while waiting for a bail hearing. This hearing is a process in which the court is going to establish the amount of bail that functions as an assurance to the court for the temporary liberty of the suspect. But not everybody is able to come up with the requested amount, and when that is the case he or she will have to stay in jail during the course of the trial. Fortunately, {it is possible to enlist the services of|you can make use of the services of a bondsman to cover the bail.
On our website you can find professional bail bondsmen in Burlington that can make sure that you or your loved ones can be free, at the very least up until the verdict and sentencing.
Why does a judge impose a bail bond ?
The legal system allows the services of a commercial bonding company to post a bail bond, also known as surety bond, to help a suspect gain temporary liberty while awaiting their trial.
The law allows two types of bail bond-- a criminal bail bond as well as a civil bail bond.
To be clear, a judge does not require a criminal bail bond to penalize you for your supposed criminal offense. You are still presumed innocent till proven guilty. Nevertheless, the court requires an assurance that you will show up at trial to face your accuser; thus, the requirement to post bail. If you attend all your scheduled criminal proceedings as required, and you are in the end found not guilty, the bail amount will be returned to you. In the case that you are condemned, the bail money will be used to cover the fines and penalties that the judge may enforce on you. If you miss the court appearances, the bail will be forfeited and you will be subject to arrest.
The same reasoning holds with civil bail bonds. The bail imposed on civil cases functions as a guarantee or a surety that the suspect will have the ability to pay the penalties and fines that the judge might require from the accused after the trial.
Should I hire a bail bondsman?
If you can afford to post bail on your own, you certainly don't have to hire a bail bondsman. For one, they ask a small charge for their assistance, not to mention the collateral you must provide for what is definitely categorized as a loan.
In nearly all states, the bail bondsman will charge a fee of about 10-20% of the overall amount of the bail bond. You will not get this refunded even when you are acquitted of the offense. However, you don't need to bother with filing the necessary documents or dealing with court staff because the agent will handle everything . Secondly, you will have a better prospect of having your bail petition approved because of the credibility and reputation of the bonding company alone. Lastly, as a result of their experience with the process, you can be out of jail in a couple of hours.
And lastly, the bonding company knows the benefit of a good impression while appearing in court. When you are committed to the local or federal jail, you are going to be hauled to the courthouse in the official inmate's jumpsuit. In contrast, when you made bail, you are able to dress well and make a good first impression on the judge and jury.
How does the bail bonds process work?
To begin the bail bonds process, you first need to look for a bonding comany. You can do that in person, over the phone and even via the internet. Given the strict adherence to professionalism, a bail bondsman will gladly walk you through the bail process and settle any doubts that you might have.
Time is of the essence during this process. Once the bail agent answered all of your concerns to your complete satisfaction, the bail agent will handle all of the procedures vital to get you or your loved one released from prison.
To ensure 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 bail bondsman will be able to get extra details from the jail system needed to secure the release. After handling all the formalities, the bail bondsman will visit the jail to get the defendant out.
Using a bail bondsman to bail out yourself or someone you know is that straightforward, you can be out of jail and reunited with your loved ones in a matter of hours.
What information should I have when contacting a bail bondsman?
When calling a bondsman, make sure you know:
- The full name of the offender
- The name of the jail the defendant is jailed in
- The booking number
- The charges
- Any other relevant info you can think of
What is accepted as collateral?
Almost always, the bail bondsman requires collateral with the transaction. This is reasonable considering the risks involved. A prisoner is a possible flight risk, and there have been plenty of examples where a bondsman had to employ a bounty hunter to bring back the fleeing defendant.
But what is accepted as collateral? Essentially, when a bondsman considers an asset valuable, you are able to use it as collateral for the bail. Below are a couple of examples:
- Realty
- Vehicles
- Stocks
- Jewelry
- Electronics
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
If you find that the bond is too high, bonding companies usually offer payment options that you can make use of. Simply talk to the bail bondsman to determine what option is the best one with regard to your circumstances.
Use our site to look for a bail bondsman that is perfect for your needs. Most of them operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready to help you or your loved one to spend the least amount of time in prison as possible.
