Bail bonds
One of the most frightening situations you can find yourself in is inside a jail cell after being apprehended and charged with an alleged criminal offense. Things can go wrong even further if you or your family have no cash on hand to post your bail , which will allow you temporary freedom. During such a difficult situation, you first have to calm yourself, think straight, and choose the most effective solution: Call a bail bondsman who can really help a lot in getting you out of prison.
You are allowed at least one phone call following your arrest. Use that telephone call to connect with a family member and ask that person to connect with a bail bond agent. Your loved one could visit our site to search for a reputable bail bond agent in Massac County who can then post the required bail on your behalf to secure your temporary freedom.
Why does a judge impose a bail bond ?
The law permits the services of a commercial bonding company to post a bail bond, also referred to as surety bond, to help a defendant gain 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 court does not impose a criminal bail bond to penalize you for your supposed criminal offense. You are still innocent until proven guilty. Having said that, the judge needs a guarantee that you will show up in court to face your accuser; therefore, the requirement to post bail. If you participate in all your scheduled criminal procedures as promised, and you are in the end acquitted, the bail amount will be returned to you. In the case that you are found guilty, the bail amount will be used to pay for the penalties and fines that the judge might enforce on you. When you skip the court appearances, the bail will be lost and you will be subject to getting arrested.
The same reasoning applies to civil bail bonds. The bail imposed on civil cases works as an assurance or a surety that the accused will be capable to pay the fines and penalties that the judge might enforce on the defendant after the trial.
Should I hire a bail bondsman?
When you are able to put up bail by yourself, you certainly don't need to employ the services of a bonding company. For one, they ask a small charge for their assistance, in addition to the collateral you have to provide for what is definitely categorized as a loan.
In nearly all states, the bail bondsman will charge around 10-20% of the overall amount of the bond. You will not get this back even when you are cleared of the offense. On the upside, you don't need to worry about submitting the paperwork or dealing with court staff because the bondsman will take care of all that for you. Besides that, you will have a better chance of having your bail application approved because of the reputation of the bail bondsman alone. Lastly, as a result of their experience with the process, you can be released from prison in a matter of hours .
Lastly, the bondsman knows the value of a good first impression while appearing in court. If you are transferred to the regional or federal prison, you are going to be hauled to court in the official inmate's uniform. On the other hand, if you made bail, you can dress well and make a good impression on the court.
How does the bail bond process work?
Finding the right bail agent is important. Sadly, there are dishonest businesses around who exploit unwary families who are already desperate for help.
So be prepared when you speak with a bail bondsman. Ask all questions you might have, and only after all your questions are answered should you continue with the subsequent steps of employing their services. They can then continue with paying the bail and submitting the required documents to get you or a family member released.
What information do I need when getting in touch with a bonding company?
When contacting a bail bondsman, ensure you know:
- The full name of the accused
- The name of the prison the accused is jailed in
- The booking number
- The charges
- Any other relevant info you can think of
Will the bondsman need collateral for their service?
If a bail bondsman will ask for collateral for providing bail will vary between cases, however, it is commonplace in the business. As for the kind of collateral that is acceptable, the list is just too long to mention everything. But if a bail bondsman thinks that an item is valueable, it could be used as collateral. Listed below are just a couple of examples:
- House or land
- Cars, boats, yachts
- Jewelry or gems
- Shares, stocks or equities
- Bank accounts
- TV, appliances or gadgets
- Antiques or art
- Farm equipment
And if available, you could also make use of payment options provided by a bondsman.
If you or your loved ones run the risk of staying in jail for quite some time because you are not able to raise the bail amount, a bondsman is the only course of action that is left. By using our website you can look for a bail bondsman in Massac County. Many of them are open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
