Bail bonds
When you have been detained for a serious criminal offense, you will have to stay in prison while waiting for the bail hearing. During the bail hearing, the judge will determine the bail amount that will get you released. If you or your family can raise the money, then everything is fine. But if you don't have any available funds, you are forced to stay in jail while awaiting your court hearing -- a scary thing to consider. Thankfully, there is a way out of your predicament: You or a friend can seek assistance from a bondsman who can post your bail to the court, get you released from prison.
But how can you contact a bondsman ? That's where our site can assist you: We can help you find a trustworthy and dependable bail bond agent in Alpena County who can put up the necessary bail to allow you to get out of prison.
Use a bail bond to gain temporary freedom after an arrest
The judicial system allows a commercial bonding company to put up a bail bond, also known as surety bond, to help individuals apprehended and charged with a crime gain temporarily released from jail while waiting for their court appearance.
The judicial system 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 till proven guilty. However, the court needs a guarantee that you will show up in court to face your accuser; hence, the requirement to post bail. If you participate in all of your arranged criminal proceedings as promised, and you are eventually acquitted, the bail amount will be returned to you. If you are found guilty, the bail money will be used to cover the penalties and fines that the court might enforce on you. When you miss the court appearances, the bail will be lost and you will be subject to arrest.
On the contrary, the civil bail bonds imposed on civil cases work as an assurance or a surety with the court where the debts, claims, and charges imposed on the offender can be paid from.
How helpful is a bail bond?
A bail bondsman is your best opportunity to not spend too much time in jail if you don't have sufficient money available for bail. A bonding company generally requires a non-refundable rate of 10% of the total bail amount. That is just reasonable, looking at the risk the bonding company is taking in providing the bail bond. In any case, the most important thing is to get you released from jail, and for that to happen have to find a dependable bondsman in your city.
An agreement with a bonding company is also valuable given that the latter will assist in your release from prison, simplifying a complex judicial process. You can simply call a bondsman who will provide you an agreement and ask you to provide the necessary info about yourself, or an individual you want to bail out of prison. If you accept the contract, you can simply relax and wait for the bondsman to post the bail in your place.
Needless to say you still have to show up at your trial. But now that you're free on bail, you can appear before a judge in your own clothes. If you had stayed in prison because you could not pay bail, you would show up in court in a prison uniform-- and that's not a pretty sight to see. A bail bondsman makes it possible for you to make a decent appearance in the courtroom, which matters a lot because first impressions count.
How does the bail bond process work?
Choosing a good bail bondsman is very important. Sadly, there are unscrupulous companies out there who take advantage of unwary families that are already desperate for help.
So be prepared when you get in touch with a bondsman. Ask all your questions, and only after all your worries are quelled should you take the next steps of hiring them. The bondsman can then continue with posting the bail and submitting the necessary documents to get you or a family member released from jail.
What information do I need when contacting a bail bondsman?
When calling a bondsman, ensure you have:
- The full name of the defendant
- The name of the prison the accused is incarcerated in
- The booking number
- The charges
- Any other relevant info you can think of
What is accepted as collateral?
Almost always, the bonding company requires collateral with the transaction. This is understandable, considering the risks involved. An inmate is a possible flight risk, and there have been countless examples where a bonding company needed to employ a bounty hunter to bring back the fleeing suspect.
But what is acceptable as collateral? Basically, if a bondsman considers an asset valuable, you are able to use it as a guarantee for the bond. Below are a couple of examples:
- Realty
- Autos
- Shares
- Jewelry
- Electronic devices
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
If you find that the bond is too expensive, bonding companies usually have payment options that you can use. Simply speak with the bail bondsman to determine what option is the best one for your circumstances.
You can use this website to find a bail bondsman that is perfect for you. Most of them operate 24/7, ready to help you or a friend to spend the least amount of time in prison as possible.
