Bail bonds
Among the most frightening places you can end up in is inside a jail cell after being apprehended and charged with an supposed crime. Things might go wrong even further if you or your family have no immediate money on hand to post your bail bond, which will allow you get released from jail until your court hearing. In such a challenging situation, you first need to relax yourself, think straight, and opt for the most helpful solution: Call a bail bondsman who can help a lot in getting you released from jail.
You are permitted at least one phone call following your arrest. Use that phone call to contact a family member and ask that person to contact a bail bondsman. Your family member could visit our website to look for a reliable bail bondsman in Morgan County who can then post the required bail in your place to get you your temporary freedom.
Why does a judge impose a bail bond ?
The legal system allows the services of a bail bondsman to post a bail bond, also referred to as surety bond, to help a suspect get temporary freedom while awaiting their court appearance.
The judicial system allows two kinds of bail bond-- a criminal bail bond and a civil bail bond.
To make it clear, a court does not require a criminal bail bond to punish you for your alleged crime. You are still presumed innocent until proven guilty. Having said that, the judge needs to have a guarantee that you will show up at trial to face your accuser; therefore, the need to post bail. If you participate in all of your scheduled criminal procedures as promised, and you are in the end acquitted, the bail will be repaid to you. In case you are condemned, the bail money will be used to take care of the fines and penalties that the judge might enforce on you. If you miss the court appearances, your bail will be forfeited and you will be subject to getting arrested.
The same justification applies with the civil bail bonds. The bail imposed on civil cases serves as a guarantee or a surety that the defendant will have the ability to pay the fines and penalties that the judge might require from the suspect after the trial.
Why should I care about bail?
Unless you are planning to stay in prison, you will have to make bail. Unfortunately, not many people are able to afford it, which is why a bonding company is very important to anybody who would like to await their trial outside of prison.
The amount of bail {will vary|depends on a lot of different factors. As an example, two individuals that committed the same criminal offense can have very different bail amounts. This can happen because the judge will take into consideration your financial circumstances, prior arrests, your family ties to the area, and if you are likely to run.
In nearly all states, the cost of a bail bond is normally 10-20% of the total amount of bail, and this will not be refunded.
Additionally, the bail bondsman can help you with the complex judicial procedures. It's more convenient to employ their services then to deal with the court on your own.
How does the bail bond process work?
Finding the right bail bondsman is very important. Sadly, there are dishonest businesses out there that prey on unsuspecting families that are already desperate for help.
So be prepared when you contact a bondsman. Ask all questions you might have, and only once all your questions are answered should you continue with the next steps of hiring their services. They can then start with posting the bail and submitting the necessary documents to get you or a family member released from prison.
Going to meet with a bail bondsman?
You need to have the following info handy when speaking with the bondsman:
- The suspect's full name
- The prison, city, and county where the offender is committed
- The suspect's booking number
- The charges the defendant is facing
- The amount of the bail bond
What is accepted as collateral?
In most cases, the bail bondsman will require collateral with the transaction. This is reasonable considering the risks that are involved. An inmate is a possible flight risk, and are numerous examples where a bonds company had to employ the services of a bounty hunter to bring back the fleeing suspect.
But what is acceptable as collateral? In a nut-shell, when a bonding company considers an asset valuable, you can use it as a guarantee for the bond. Listed below are a couple of examples:
- Real estate
- Vehicles
- Shares
- Jewelry
- Electronics
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
If you have trouble paying for the bail bond, bail bonds companies have payment plans that you can use. Just talk to the bail bondsman to determine which option is the best one with regard to your circumstances.
You can use our website to find a bail bondsman that is perfect for your needs. Most of them are open 24x7, ready to assist you or a friend to spend the least amount of time in jail as possible.
