Bail bonds
Among the most scary situations you can find yourself in is inside a prison after you have been arrested and charged with an alleged crime. Things might go south even further if you or your loved ones have no immediate cash available to post your bail bond, which will allow you temporary freedom. During such a challenging situation, you first have to calm yourself, think straight, and go with the most helpful solution: Contact a bail bondsman who can help a lot in getting you released from jail.
You are permitted at least one telephone call following your arrest. Use that phone call to get in touch with a loved one and request that person to connect with a bail bond agent. Your loved one could visit our website to look for a reliable bail bond agent in Stafford County who can then post the bail on your behalf to secure your temporary freedom.
Use a bail bond to gain temporary freedom after an arrest
The legal system permits a commercial bonding company to put up a bail bond, also known as surety bond, to help those apprehended and accused of a criminal offense gain temporary freedom while awaiting their court appearance.
The law 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 innocent until proven guilty. However, the court needs an assurance that you will show up at trial to face your accuser; therefore, the need to post bail. If you show up at all your scheduled criminal proceedings as required, and you are in the end acquitted, the bail will be repaid to you. If you are found guilty, the bail amount will be used to cover the fines and penalties that the judge may impose on you. When you skip the court hearings, your bail will be lost and you will be subject to getting arrested.
On the contrary, the civil bail bonds enforced on civil cases function as a guarantee or a surety with the court where the financial obligations, interests, and costs enforced on the defendant can be paid from.
Should I hire a bondsman?
When you are able to put up bail by yourself, you don't have to employ the services of a bonding company. For one, they require a small charge for their service, not to mention the collateral you must provide for what is definitely classified as a loan.
In almost all states, the bonding company will charge a rate of around 10-20% of the total amount of the bail. You can't get this back even when you are cleared of the offense. However, you don't need to stress over filing the necessary documents or dealing with court staff since the agent will handle everything . Secondly, you will have a better chance of having your bail request accepted by virtue of the credibility and reputation of the bail bondsman alone. Thirdly, as a result of their familiarity with the process, you can be out of jail in a couple of hours.
And finally, the bonding company recognizes the value of a good first impression on the judge and jury. When you are committed to the regional or federal prison, you are going to be transported to the courthouse in the official inmate's jumpsuit. In contrast, when you are out on bail, you can dress smartly and make a good impression on the judge and jury.
How does the bail bonds process work?
To begin the bail bonds process, you first need to get 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 procedure and settle any doubts that you may have.
Time is of the essence throughout this process. Once the bail agent addressed all of your questions to your complete satisfaction, the bail bondsman will handle all of the procedures necessary to get you or your loved one released from prison.
To ensure all goes well, a bail bondsman needs to have the offender's name, birthdate, and the location or area of the arrest. With this info, the bondsman will be able to get additional details from the jail system required to secure the release. After handling all the procedures, the bondsman will go over to the prison to get the offender released.
Utilizing a bail bondsman to bail out yourself or someone you love is that easy, you can be out of prison and reunited with your loved ones in a few hours.
Preparing to meet with a bail bondsman?
You need to have the following info on hand when talking to the bail bondsman:
- The suspect's full name
- The jail, city, and county where the offender is committed
- The offender's booking number
- The charges against the accused
- The amount of the bail bond
What is accepted as collateral?
Almost always, the bail bondsman requires collateral with the deal. This is reasonable taking into consideration the risks that are involved. An inmate is a possible flight risk, and there have been plenty of occasions where a bonding company had to hire a bounty hunter to recover the fleeing defendant.
But what is accepted as collateral? In a nut-shell, when a bondsman considers an asset valuable, you are able to use it as a guarantee for the bail bond. Below are a number of examples:
- Real estate
- Automobiles
- Equities
- Jewelry
- Electronics
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
If you find that the bond is too expensive, bail bonds companies usually have payment options that you can use. Just speak with the bondsman to determine what option is the best one when it comes to your circumstances.
Use this website to search for a bail bondsman that is perfect for you. Almost all of them are open day and night, ready to help you or a family member to spend the as little time as possible in jail.
