Bail bonds
In its essence, a bail bond is a kind of guarantee that you will show up at the court hearing at the specified date. In return, you are allowed to remain free even though you are still undergoing trial for a civil or criminal charge. Without a bail bond, you will remain prison while awaiting the court to rule on either acquittal or conviction. A bonding company can pay bail for you and get you out of jail.
Depending upon the charge, the cost of bail could be steep. Not many suspects can post the bond. Certainly there's a reason why the correctional system is overburdened. But there's a legal solution to gain your temporary release even if your case is on-going. Using our site you can locate a trustworthy bail bondsman in Hillsborough County.
Use a bail bond to gain temporary freedom after getting arrested
The judicial system permits a bondsman to put up a bail bond, also called surety bond, to help persons apprehended and charged with a crime get temporary freedom while waiting for their trial.
The legal system allows two types of bail -- a criminal bail bond and a civil bail bond.
To be clear, a judge does not impose a criminal bail bond to penalize you for your supposed criminal offense. You are still innocent until proven guilty. Even so, the court needs to have an assurance that you will show up at trial to face your accuser; therefore, the requirement to post bail. If you show up at all your scheduled criminal proceedings as promised, and you are eventually found not guilty, the bail will be given back to you. If you are condemned, the bail amount will be used to take care of the fines and penalties that the court might impose on you. If you miss the court appearances, your bail will be forfeited and you will be subject to arrest.
However, the civil bail bonds imposed on civil cases work as a guarantee or a surety with the court where the debts, claims, and fees enforced on the defendant can be paid from.
Should I hire a bail bondsman?
When you can afford to pay bail by yourself, you don't need to employ the services of a bondsman. For one, they ask a small fee for their assistance, not to mention the collateral you must provide for what is undoubtedly categorized as a loan.
In nearly all states, the bonding company will collect about 10-20% of the overall amount of the bail. You will not get this money back even when you are cleared of the crime. However, you do not have to worry about filing the necessary documents or have to deal with court staff since the agent will take care of everything . Secondly, you will have a better chance of having your bail request approved because of the reputation of the bonding company alone. Third, due to their familiarity with the procedure, you can be released from jail in a matter of hours .
And finally, the bonding company understands the benefit of a good first impression on the judge and jury. If you are committed to the regional or federal jail, you will be transported to the courthouse in the official prisoner's jumpsuit. On the other hand, when you made bail, you are able to dress smartly and ensure a good impression on the judge and jury.
How does the bail bond process work?
Finding a good bail agent is very important. Sadly, there are dishonest companies out there who take advantage of unsuspicious families that are already desperate .
So be prepared when you contact a bondsman. Ask all questions you might have, and only once all your questions are answered should you take the next steps of hiring their services. They can then continue with posting the bail and submitting the required documents to get you or a friend out.
Information your bondsman needs to know
If you get in touch with a bonding company, you will have to provide these details:
- Your full name if you are the offender
- The name and location of the jailhouse where the defendant is held
- The booking number in the police blotter
- The complaints filed against the defendant
- Any extra related details
Will the bail bondsman need collateral ?
Whether or not a bonding company will want collateral for putting up bail will vary between cases, however, it is a common practice in the business. Regarding the type of collateral that is acceptable, the list is just too long to mention all of it. Suffice to say that if a bondsman thinks that something has value, it could be acceptable as collateral. Listed below are just a few examples:
- House or property
- Vehicles, boats, yachts
- Jewelry or gemstones
- Shares, stocks or equities
- Bank accounts
- TV, appliances or other devices
- Antiques or art collections
- Farm equipment
And when available, you can also make use of payment options provided by a bonding company.
When you or a friend are in danger of remaining in prison for quite some time because you can't come up with the bail money, a bail bondsman is the only option that is left. By using our website you can look for a bonding company in Hillsborough County. Many of them are open day and night.
