Bail Bonds in Galveston County, TX


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Bail bonds

When a person is incarcerated and booked for a serious crime, they need to wait in jail till a bail hearing. It is during this bail hearing that the judge determines the bail . If that person can't raise the amount of money, they have to remain in prison up until their court hearing. But that does not always need to be the case; they can also seek out the services of a bail bondsman.

Sadly, most people wind up remaining in prison up until their court appearance since most do not have a large amount of money sitting around in the bank.

Our site will help you with bailing out your loved ones by connecting you to reputable and inexpensive bail bond representatives in Galveston County.

Use a bail bond to gain temporary freedom after getting arrested

The legal system permits a commercial bonding company to post a bail bond, also known as surety bond, to help people arrested and charged with a criminal offense gain temporary freedom while awaiting their trial.

The judicial system allows two kinds of bail -- a criminal bail bond as well as a civil bail bond.

To be clear, a court does not impose a criminal bail bond to penalize you for your alleged criminal offense. You are still innocent till proven guilty. Even so, the judge needs a guarantee that you will show up at trial to face your accuser; thus, the need to post bail. If you attend all of your arranged criminal proceedings as promised, and you are in the end found not guilty, the bail amount will be given back to you. In case you are found guilty, the bail amount will be used to pay for the fines and penalties that the court might enforce on you. When you skip the court appearances, the bail will be lost and you will be subject to getting arrested.

On the other hand, the civil bail bonds enforced on civil cases function as an assurance or a surety with the court where the financial obligations, claims, and costs imposed on the accused can be taken from.

How useful is a bail bond?

A bondsman is your biggest hope to not spend considerable time in prison if you don't have sufficient cash available to post your bail. A bondsman usually charges a non-refundable rate of 10% of the total bail amount. That is just fair, taking into account the risk the bondsman is taking in providing the money. Anyway, the most pressing concern is to get you released from prison, and for that to happen have to find a reliable bail bondsman in your area.

A contract with a bonding company is also valuable because they will facilitate your release from prison, simplifying a complicated judicial procedure. You can just call a bail bondsman who can provide you a deal and ask you to provide the necessary information about yourself, or an individual you want to bail out of prison. When you approve the deal, you can simply sit tight and wait for the bondsman to pay the bail on your behalf.

Of course you still need to be at your trial. However, now that you're out on a bond, you can show up in court in civilian clothes. If you had stayed in jail because you could not post bail, you would appear in court in a jail uniform-- and that's not a pretty sight to see. A bail bondsman enables you to have a respectable appearance in the courtroom, which matters a whole lot given that first impressions count.

How does the bail bond process work?

Choosing a good bail agent is very important. Sadly, there are dishonest agents around that exploit unsuspecting families 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 once all your worries are quelled should you continue with the next steps of employing them. They can then continue with posting the bail and filing the necessary documents to get you or a friend out.

Information your bondsman needs to know

If you speak to a bail bondsman, you will have to share the following details:

  • Your full name if you are the defendant
  • The name and location of the jailhouse where the accused is detained
  • The booking number in the police blotter
  • The charges filed against the defendant
  • Any extra relevant information

What is accepted as collateral?

In most cases, the bonding company will ask for collateral with the transaction. This is understandable, considering the risks that are involved. A prisoner is a flight risk, and there have been numerous examples where a bonding company had to employ the services of a bounty hunter to bring back the fleeing suspect.

But what is acceptable as collateral? Essentially, when a bail bondsman considers an asset valuable, you are able to use it as collateral for the bail bond. Listed below are a few examples:

  • Realty
  • Vehicles
  • Equities
  • Jewelry
  • Electronics
  • Bank accounts
  • Credit cards

If you find that the bail bond is too expensive, bail bonds companies often offer payment plans that you can make use of. Just speak with the bondsman to figure out which option is best suited for your circumstances.

Use our site to find a bonding company that is perfect for you. Most of them operate 24/7, ready to help you or your loved one to spend the as little time as possible in jail.


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