Bail bonds
When an individual is jailed and booked for a severe criminal offense, they must wait in jail till a bail hearing. It is at this bail hearing that the judge sets the bail amount. If that individual can't raise the amount, they have to stay in jail until their court date. However that does not always have to be the case; they can also look for the help of a bail bondsman.
Sadly, most people wind up staying in prison until their court appearance since most do not have a large amount of cash sitting around in the bank.
Our site will help you with bailing out your loved ones by connecting you to reputable and economical bail bond agents in Merced County.
Why does a judge impose a bail bond ?
The law permits the services of a bondsman to post a bail bond, also known as surety bond, to help an accused get temporary freedom while waiting for their court hearing.
The law allows two sorts of bail bond-- a criminal bail bond as well as a civil bail bond.
To make it clear, a judge does not impose a criminal bail bond to punish you for your supposed criminal offense. You are still presumed innocent up until proven guilty. Having said that, the judge needs an assurance that you will show up in court to face your accuser; thus, the need to post bail. If you participate in all your scheduled criminal procedures as promised, and you are eventually found not guilty, the bail amount will be given back to you. If you are condemned, the bail amount will be used to cover the fines and penalties that the court might enforce on you. If you skip the court appearances, your bail will be lost and you will be subject to getting arrested.
The same justification holds with civil bail bonds. The bail imposed on civil cases works as a guarantee or a surety that the suspect will have the ability to pay the fines and penalties that the court may require from the defendant after the trial.
Should I hire a bail bondsman?
If you can afford to pay bail on your own, you don't have to hire a bondsman. For one, they require a small charge for their service, not to mention the collateral you must provide for what is certainly classified as a loan.
In almost all states, the bail bondsman will charge about 10-20% of the overall amount of the bail bond. You will not get this back even if you are acquitted of the charge. However, you don't need to worry about filing the necessary documents or dealing with court staff because the agent will take care of all that for you. Besides that, you will have a better chance of getting your bail request accepted by virtue of the reputation of the bail bondsman alone. Third, as a result of their familiarity with the process, you can possibly be released from jail in a matter of hours instead of days.
And finally, the bondsman understands the benefit of a good first impression on the judge and jury. When you are committed to the local or federal jail, you will be hauled to court in the official inmate's uniform. In contrast, if you made bail, you can dress well and make a good first impression on the judge and jury.
How the bail bonds process works
To begin the bail bonds process, you first need to look for a bail agent. You can do that in person, over the phone and even via the internet. Given the stringent adherence to professionalism, a bail bondsman will gladly walk you through the bail bond process and settle any doubts that you may have.
Time is of the essence during this procedure. As soon as the bail agent answered all of your concerns to your complete satisfaction, the bail bondsman will deal with all of the formalities vital to get you or your loved one released from jail.
To make certain all goes smoothly, a bail bondsman needs to have the accused's name, birthdate, and the location or city of the arrest. With this info, the agent will have the ability to gather extra info from the prison system required to secure the release. After dealing with all the procedures, the bail bondsman will go over to the prison to get the defendant out.
Using a bail bondsman to bail out yourself or someone you know is that easy, you can be out of jail and reunited with your loved ones in a few hours.
Information your bail bondsman needs to know
If you contact a bondsman, you need to provide these details:
- Your name if you are the defendant
- The name and location of the jail where the suspect is held
- The booking number in the police blotter
- The complaints filed against the suspect
- Any other related information
What does a bail bondsman accept as collateral?
Not everybody will have the cash lying around to pay a bonding company, but that does not mean you can not use one to get yourself or another person out of prison. If you do not have enough money, you can also put up some of your assets as collateral. Some items generally accepted as collateral include:
- Real estate
- Automobiles
- Visa or mastercard
- Stocks
- Bonds
- Jewelry
- Personal credit
- Bank accounts
Moreover, most bail bondsmen will also offer you with the option for a payment plan that you can afford and does not add more stress during these trying times.
The bail bonds procedure can be confusing and equally wearisome, however the good news is that most bondsmen are ready to assist you 24×7. With our site you can find a respectable bail bondsman in Merced County. They will be more than delighted to help you get you or your loved one from prison!
