Bail bonds
Essentially, a bail bond is a sort of assurance that you will show up at the hearing at the specified date. In return, you are permitted to walk free even if you are still awaiting trial for a criminal or civil charge. Otherwise, you will stay jail while waiting on the court to decide on either acquittal or conviction. A bail bondsman can put up bail for you and get you released from prison.
Depending on the charge, the cost of bail could be high. Not many defendants have the ability to post the bail. There's a reason why the penal system is overburdened. But there's a legal manner in which to earn your temporary release from jail even when your case is ongoing. Using our website you can find a credible bail bondsman in Contra Costa County.
Use a bail bond to gain temporary freedom after an arrest
The legal system permits a bail bondsman to post a bail bond, also known as surety bond, to help people arrested and charged with a criminal offense gain temporarily released from prison while waiting for their court appearance.
The legal system allows two types of bail -- a criminal bail bond as well as a civil bail bond.
To make it clear, a court does not impose a criminal bail bond to penalize you for your supposed crime. You are still presumed innocent until proven guilty. That being said, the judge needs to have a guarantee that you will show up at trial to face your accuser; hence, the need to post bail. If you attend all your scheduled criminal proceedings as promised, and you are in the end acquitted, the bail will be given back to you. If you are found guilty, the bail will be used to cover the penalties and fines that the court might impose on you. When you skip the court hearings, the bail will be lost and you will be subject to getting arrested.
On the other hand, the civil bail bonds imposed on civil cases serve as a guarantee or a surety with the court where the debts, claims, and costs enforced on the offender can be drawn from.
How beneficial is a bail bond?
A bonding company is your biggest hope to not spend too much time in jail when you don't have enough money available to post your bail. A bonding company generally requires a non-refundable rate of 10% of the bail. That is just fair, looking at the risk the bonding company is taking in putting up the money. In any case, the most pressing concern is to get you released from prison, and for that have to find a reliable bail bondsman in your area.
A deal with a bail bondsman is also helpful because they will help with your release from prison, simplifying a complex judicial process. You can just call a bondsman who can offer you an agreement and request you to give the necessary information about yourself, or a person you would like to bail out. If you agree to the agreement, you can just sit tight and wait for the bail bondsman to put up the bail on your behalf.
Of course you still have to attend your trial. But now that you're out on a bond, you can appear before a judge in civilian clothes. If you had stayed in jail because you could not post bail, you would show up in court in a jail uniform-- and that does not make a good impression. A bondsman makes it possible for you to make a respectable appearance in the courtroom, which really matters a lot since first impressions count.
Here's how the bail bonds process works
In the event that you are arrested and accused of an alleged criminal offense, the first thing that you have to do is to contact a good attorney and somebody, perhaps the attorney himself, that can connect you to a bonding company to start the bail bonds procedure. You or your representative can work with the bondsman who is going to ask you common questions such as the suspect's name, birthdate, and the area or city where the arrest was made. The bail bondsman will then offer you an arrangement for posting your bail . When you agree with the agreement, the bail bondsman will deal with all the formalities to secure your release. With the aid of the bondsman, you can leave prison and enjoy the company of your family once more.
What information do I need when calling a bonding company?
When calling a bondsman, make certain you know:
- The full name of the accused
- The name of the prison the offender is incarcerated in
- The booking number
- The charges
- Any other relevant information you can think of
Will the bondsman require collateral for their service?
If a bonding company will want collateral for providing bail differs between cases, but it is commonplace in the business. Regarding the type of collateral that is acceptable, the list is just way too long to mention everything. But if a bondsman thinks that something is valueable, it could be used as collateral. Below are just a few examples:
- House or land
- Cars, boats, yachts
- Jewelry or gemstones
- Shares, stocks or equities
- Bank accounts
- TV, appliances or gadgets
- Antiques or art
- Farm equipment
And if available, you can also take advantage of payment options provided by a bonding company.
When you or a friend are in danger of remaining in prison for a long time because you can't get the amount of money, a bail bondsman is the only alternative that is left. On our website you can find a bondsman in Contra Costa County. A lot of them are open day and night.
