Bail bonds
When you have been apprehended for a severe criminal offense, you have to remain in jail while awaiting the bail hearing. At the bail hearing, the judge will set the amount of bail that will give you temporary freedom. 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 are forced to stay in prison while waiting for your court hearing -- a scary thing to contemplate. Luckily, there is a way out of your predicament: You or your family can look for assistance from a bail bondsman that can post your bail to the court, to allow you temporary freedom.
But how do you contact a bondsman ? That's where this site can assist you: We will help you find a trustworthy and reliable bail bondsman in Shelby County who can post the required bail to make it possible for you to get released from jail.
Why does a judge impose bail ?
The judicial system allows the services of a bail bondsman to post a bail bond, also referred to as surety bond, to help an offender get temporary liberty while waiting for their trial.
The law allows two types of bail -- a criminal bail bond and a civil bail bond.
To be clear, a court does not impose a criminal bail bond to punish you for your alleged criminal offense. You are still innocent up until proven guilty. Even so, the court needs a guarantee that you will appear at trial to face your accuser; therefore, the requirement to post bail. If you show up at all of your arranged criminal proceedings as promised, and you are in the end found not guilty, the bail will be given back to you. If you are found guilty, the bail amount will be used to take care of the fines and penalties that the judge might enforce on you. If you miss the court hearings, the bail will be lost and you will be subject to arrest.
The same reasoning applies with the civil bail bonds. The bail enforced on civil cases works as a guarantee or a surety that the suspect will be able to pay the penalties and fines that the judge can require from the offender after the trial.
Do I need to hire a bondsman?
If you are able to post bail by yourself, you certainly don't need to have to hire a bondsman. For one, they require a charge for their service, not to mention the collateral you must provide for what is certainly classified as a loan.
In nearly all states, the bonding company will charge a fee of about 10-20% of the overall amount of the bail. You can't get this back even when you are cleared of the offense. However, you do not need to bother with filing the necessary documents or have to deal with court personnel because the agent will handle everything for you. Secondly, you will have a better prospect of getting your bail application approved by virtue of the reputation of the bonding company alone. Lastly, because of their experience with the procedure, you can be released from prison in a couple of hours.
Lastly, the bail bonds company knows the benefit of a good impression on the judge and jury. When you are committed to the local or federal jail, you are going to be hauled to court in the official prisoner's jumpsuit. On the other hand, if you made bail, you can dress well and ensure a good impression on the judge and jury.
How the bail bonds process works
To start the bail bonds procedure, you first need to search for a bonding comany. You can do that in person, over the phone and even via the internet. Given the stringent adherence to professionalism, a bondsman will gladly walk you through the bail process and straighten out any reservations that you might have.
Time is of the essence throughout this procedure. Once the bail agent answered all of your concerns to your satisfaction, the bail bondsman will deal with all of the formalities required to get you or your loved one released from prison.
To ensure all goes well, a bail bondsman needs to know the defendant's name, birthdate, and the location or area of the arrest. With this info, the bondsman will be able to get extra info from the prison system needed to secure the release. After dealing with all the procedures, the bail bondsman will go over to the jail to get the offender out.
Using a bail bondsman to bail out yourself or somebody you love is that easy, you can be out of prison and reunited with your loved ones in a matter of hours.
What information do I need when getting in touch with a bondsman?
When getting in touch with a bonding company, make sure that you have:
- The full name of the defendant
- The name of the jail the offender is jailed in
- The booking number
- The charges
- Any other relevant info you can think of
What does a bail bondsman accept as collateral?
Not everyone will have the cash lying around to pay a bonding company, however that does not mean you can not use one to get yourself or another person out of jail. If you do not have sufficient money, you can also put up a few of your possessions as collateral. Some things often accepted as collateral include:
- Realty
- Cars and trucks
- Visa or mastercard
- Stocks
- Bonds
- Jewelry
- Personal credit
- Bank accounts
Additionally, most bail agents will also supply you with the option for a payment plan that you can afford and does not add more stress throughout these difficult times.
The bail bonds process can be complicated and every bit as wearisome, however the bright side is that the majority of bail bondsmen are ready to support you 24×7. With our site you can find a trusted bail bondsman in Shelby County. They will be more than happy to help you get you or your loved one from jail!
