Bail bonds
Essentially, a bail bond is a kind of promise that you will show up at your trial at the date specified. In return, you will be allowed to walk free even if you are still awaiting trial for a criminal or civil charge. Otherwise, you will sit in prison while awaiting the court to decide on either conviction or acquittal. A bonding company can post bail for you and get you released from prison.
Depending upon the charge, the cost of bail could be high. Not a lot of defendants can post the bail bond. There's a reason why the penal system is overburdened. But there's a lawful solution to gain your temporary release from prison even if your case is still in progress. With our website you can search for a trusted bonding company in Berrien County.
Why does a judge impose a bail bond ?
The judicial system allows the services of a bondsman to post a bail bond, also called surety bond, to help a defendant gain temporary freedom while awaiting their trial.
The judicial system allows two sorts of bail -- a criminal bail bond and a civil bail bond.
To make it clear, a judge does not require a criminal bail bond to penalize you for your alleged crime. You are still innocent until proven guilty. However, the court needs to have 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 of your arranged criminal proceedings as promised, and you are in the end acquitted, the bail will be returned to you. In case you are condemned, the bail will be used to cover the penalties and fines that the judge may impose on you. When you skip the court hearings, the bail will be lost and you will be subject to arrest.
The same reasoning holds with civil bail bonds. The bail imposed on civil cases works as an assurance or a surety that the suspect will be able to pay the fines and penalties that the judge might require from the defendant after the trial.
How beneficial is a bail bond?
A bonding company is your biggest hope to not spend too much time in prison if you don't have enough money available to pay your bail. A bondsman generally requires a non-refundable fee of 10% of the bail. That is just fair, considering the risk the bail bondsman is taking in putting up the bail bond. Anyway, the most important thing is to get you released from prison, and for that have to search for a reputable bonding company in your city.
A contract with a bondsman is also useful because the latter will assist in your release from prison, simplifying a difficult judicial procedure. You can simply call a bail agent who can provide you an agreement and request you to give the relevant information about yourself, or a person you wish to bail out. In case you accept the contract, you can simply relax and wait for the bondsman to pay the bail for you.
Of course you still need to show up at your hearing. However, now that you're out on bail, you can appear before a judge in your own clothes. If you had remained in jail for failure to pay bail, you would appear in court in a jail jumpsuit -- and that's not a pretty sight to see. A bondsman enables you to have a respectable appearance in court, which matters a whole lot since first impressions matter.
How does the bail bond process work?
Choosing the right bondsman is important. Sadly, there are unscrupulous agents around that prey on unsuspicious people that are already desperate .
Make sure you are ready when you get in touch with a bonding company. Ask all questions you might have, and only once all your doubts are quelled should you continue with the subsequent steps of hiring their services. The bail bondsman can then continue with posting the bail and filing the necessary paperwork to get you or your loved one released.
What information does a bondsman need?
When you speak to a bonding company, they will need to know:
- The full name and age of the offender
- The location where the defendant is held
- The booking number and the charges
What does a bonding company accept as collateral?
Not everybody will have the cash lying around to pay a bondsman, however that does not mean you can not utilize one to get yourself or another person out of jail. If you do not have enough money, you can also put up a few of your possessions as collateral. Some items ordinarily accepted as collateral include:
- Real estate
- Automobiles
- Visa or mastercard
- Stocks
- Bonds
- Jewelry
- Personal credit
- Bank accounts
Furthermore, most bail agents will also provide you with the possibility for a payment plan that is within your budget and does not add more stress throughout these trying times.
The bail bonds procedure can be complicated and equally wearisome, but the bright side is that many bail bondsmen are ready to help you 24×7. With our website you can search for a trusted bonding company in Berrien County. They will be more than happy to help you get you or your loved one from prison!
