Bail bonds
When you are detained for a serious criminal offense, you have to remain in prison while awaiting the bail hearing. At the bail hearing, the judge will determine the amount of bail that will give you temporary freedom. If you or a friend has the money, then there's no problem. However, if you don't have any available funds, you are forced to remain behind bars while waiting for your trial -- a scary prospect to consider. Thankfully, there is a way out of your predicament: You or a friend can look for assistance from a bail bondsman that can post your bail to the court, get you released from prison.
But how do you contact a bondsman ? That's where our website can assist you: We can help you search for a trusted and dependable bonding company in Platte County who can put up the necessary bail to allow you to leave jail.
Why does a judge impose a bail bond ?
The legal system permits the services of a bondsman to post a bail bond, also referred to as surety bond, to help an accused get temporary liberty while waiting for their court hearing.
The legal system allows two kinds of bail -- a criminal bail bond as well as a civil bail bond.
To be clear, a court does not require a criminal bail bond to penalize you for your alleged crime. You are still innocent till proven guilty. However, the judge requires an assurance that you will appear at trial to face your accuser; hence, the requirement to post bail. If you show up at all your arranged criminal procedures as promised, and you are in the end acquitted, the bail will be given back to you. If you are condemned, the bail will be used to take care of the penalties and fines that the judge might enforce on you. If you skip the court hearings, the bail will be forfeited and you will be subject to getting arrested.
The same reasoning applies with the civil bail bonds. The bail enforced on civil cases functions as a guarantee or a surety that the accused will be capable to pay the fines and penalties that the judge may impose on the suspect after the trial.
How beneficial is a bail bond?
A bondsman is your biggest hope to not spend considerable time in prison in case you don't have enough money available to post your bail. A bail bondsman typically requires a non-refundable fee of 10% of the bail. That is no more than fair, taking into consideration the risk the bondsman is taking in putting up the bond. Anyway, the most important thing is to get you out of prison, and for that have to search for a dependable bondsman in your area.
A deal with a bondsman is also handy because the latter will facilitate your release from prison, simplifying a difficult judicial process. You can just contact a bondsman who will provide you a deal and ask you to give the relevant info about yourself, or someone you would like to bail out. When you agree to the contract, you can simply sit tight and wait for the bonding company to post the bail in your place.
Needless to say you still need to attend your hearing. However, now that you're free on a bond, you can show up in court in your own clothes. When you had remained in jail because you could not afford to put up bail, you would have shown up in court in a prison jumpsuit -- and that does not make a good impression. A bondsman allows you to have a decent appearance before the judge, which really matters a lot because first impressions count.
How does the bail bond process work?
Finding the right bail agent is very important. Sadly, there are dishonest individuals around who take advantage of unsuspecting people that are already desperate for help.
Make sure you are ready when you speak with a bonding company. Ask all questions you might have, and only after all your questions are answered should you continue with the next steps of employing them. The bonding company can then proceed with posting the bail and submitting the necessary papers to get you or a friend released.
What information should I have when calling a bondsman?
When contacting a bonding company, make certain you have:
- The full name of the defendant
- The name of the jail the defendant is jailed in
- The booking number
- The charges
- Any other relevant information you can think of
What does a bonding company accept as collateral?
Not everybody will have the cash lying around to pay a bonding company, however that does not mean you can not utilize one to get yourself or somebody else out of jail. If you do not have enough cash, you can also put up a few of your assets as collateral. Some things generally accepted as collateral include:
- Realty
- Cars and trucks
- Credit cards
- Stocks
- Bonds
- Jewelry
- Personal credit
- Bank accounts
Moreover, most bail bondsmen will also supply you with the option for a payment plan that you can afford and does not add more stress during these trying times.
The bail bonds process can be puzzling and equally wearisome, however the bright side is that the majority of bail bondsmen are ready to support you 24×7. Using our site you can search for a reputable bondsman in Platte County. They will be more than happy to help you get you or your loved one from jail!
