Bail bonds
If you are arrested for a major crime, you need to remain in prison while waiting for the bail hearing. During the bail hearing, the judge will decide the bail amount that will get you released from jail. If you or a friend can quickly raise the money, then there's no problem. However, if you don't have any available funds, you will be forced to remain in prison while waiting for your trial -- a scary prospect to contemplate. Fortunately, there is a solution: You or your family can seek help from a bail bondsman who can pay your bail to the court, to allow you temporary freedom.
But how can you connect with a bondsman ? That's where this site can assist you: We can help you locate a trustworthy and reliable bondsman in Highland County who can post the necessary bail to make it possible for you to get out of jail.
Why does a judge impose bail ?
The legal system permits the services of a bail bondsman to post a bail bond, also referred to as surety bond, to help an offender get temporary freedom while awaiting their court appearance.
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 punish you for your supposed crime. You are still innocent till proven guilty. Nevertheless, the judge needs a guarantee that you will show up at trial to face your accuser; thus, the requirement to post bail. If you participate in all your scheduled criminal procedures as required, and you are in the end found not guilty, the bail amount will be repaid to you. In the case that you are found guilty, the bail will be used to pay for the penalties and fines that the court may enforce on you. When you skip the court appearances, the bail will be forfeited and you will be subject to arrest.
The same reasoning applies to civil bail bonds. The bail imposed on civil cases functions as a guarantee or a surety that the offender will be able to pay the penalties and fines that the court can impose on the defendant after the trial.
Why should I care about a bail bond?
Unless you want to remain in prison, you will have to make bail. Unfortunately, very few individuals can afford it, and that is why a bail bondsman is vital to anybody who wants to await their trial outside of prison.
The amount of bail {will vary|depends on a lot of different aspects. For instance, two persons who committed the exact same crime can have very different amounts of bail. This occurs because the judge will take into consideration your financial situation, prior arrests, your family ties to the community, and whether or not you pose a flight risk.
In nearly all states, the rate charged by the bondsman is usually 10-20% of the total bail amount, and you will not get this back.
Furthermore, the bondsman can help you navigate the complicated judicial proceedings. It's easier to hire a bail bondsman then to deal with the legal system on your own.
How does the bail bond process work?
Finding a good bail bondsman is important. Sadly, there are shady companies out there who take advantage of unwary people that are already desperate for help.
So be prepared when you contact a bonding company. Ask all questions you might have, and only after all your doubts are quelled should you continue with the subsequent steps of hiring their services. They can then continue with posting the bail and submitting the necessary paperwork to get you or a friend out.
Information your bondsman needs
If you get in touch with a bail bondsman, you will have to provide the following details:
- Your full name if you are the suspect
- The name and location of the prison where the suspect is held
- The booking number in the police blotter
- The complaints filed against the accused
- Any extra important details
Will the bail bondsman need collateral for their service?
Whether or not a bondsman will ask for collateral for differs between cases, but it is commonplace in the business. As for the sort of collateral that is accepted, the list is just far too long to mention all. But if a bail bondsman thinks that something has value, it could be acceptable as collateral. Listed below are just some examples:
- Real estate or land
- Cars, boats, yachts
- Jewelry or gems
- Shares, stocks or equities
- Bank accounts
- TV, appliances or gadgets
- Antiques or art collections
- Farm equipment
And when available, you could also make use of payment plans offered by a bondsman.
If you or your loved ones run the risk of remaining in jail for a long time simply because you are not able to come up with the bail money, a bondsman is the only course of action that is left. On our site you can search for a bail bondsman in Highland County. Many of them are open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
