Bail bonds
When you are arrested for a serious criminal offense, you have to remain in prison while awaiting the bail hearing. At the bail hearing, the judge will set the bail amount that will get you released. If you or a friend has the money, then there's no problem. But if you don't have any funds available, you are forced to stay behind bars while awaiting your court hearing -- a scary thing to consider. The good news is, there is a solution: You or your family can seek assistance from a bondsman that can put up your bail to the court, to allow you temporary freedom.
But how can you get in touch with a bonding company ? That's where this website can help: We can help you locate a trusted and dependable bondsman in Houston County who can pay the necessary bail to allow you to get released from prison.
Why does a judge impose a bail bond ?
The law allows the services of a bondsman to post a bail bond, also known as surety bond, to help a defendant get temporary liberty while waiting for their court appearance.
The law allows two kinds of bail -- a criminal bail bond and a civil bail bond.
To be clear, a judge does not impose a criminal bail bond to penalize you for your supposed criminal offense. You are still innocent until proven guilty. Nonetheless, the court requires an assurance that you will show up in court to face your accuser; therefore, the need to post bail. If you participate in all of your arranged criminal procedures as promised, and you are in the end acquitted, the bail will be returned to you. If you are found guilty, the bail money will be used to pay for the penalties and fines that the judge might impose on you. When you miss the court appearances, your bail will be forfeited and you will be subject to getting arrested.
The same reasoning applies to civil bail bonds. The bail enforced on civil cases functions as a guarantee or a surety that the defendant will have the ability to pay the fines and penalties that the judge may enforce on the offender after the trial.
Should I hire a bondsman?
If you are able to post bail on your own, you certainly don't need to work with a bondsman. For one, they require a charge for their service, not to mention the collateral you have to provide for what is certainly classified as a loan.
In almost all states, the bonding company will collect about 10-20% of the overall amount of the bail bond. You will not get this money refunded even if you are acquitted of the charge. On the upside, you do not need to bother with submitting the paperwork or have to deal with court staff because the agent will handle everything for you. Besides that, you will have a better chance of having your bail request accepted because of the credibility and reputation of the bondsman alone. Third, because of their familiarity with the process, you can possibly be out of prison in a matter of hours .
Finally, the bonding company recognizes the advantage of a good first impression on the judge and jury. If you are committed to the local or federal jail, you will be hauled to the courtroom in the official prisoner's jumpsuit. On the other hand, when you are out on bail, you can dress well and make a good impression on the court.
How does the bail bond process work?
Finding the right bondsman is very important. Sadly, there are dishonest individuals out there who take advantage of unsuspecting families that are already desperate for help.
Make sure you are ready when you talk to a bonding company. Ask all your questions, and only after all your doubts are quelled should you take the next steps of employing them. The bondsman can then continue with posting the bail and submitting the required documents to get you or a family member released.
What your bail bondsman needs from you
After you or a family member get in touch with a bonding company, they will ask the following questions:
- The full name of the defendant
- The name and location of the jail where the accused is held
- The booking number in the police blotter
- The charges filed against the suspect
- Any other related information
Collateral that a bondsman can accept
You will be seeking the support of a bonding company due to the fact that you have no quick source of cash to use for paying your bail. But obviously bonding companies will not spend cash on your behalf in the absence of a guarantee that they will be paid back. They will need collateral in the form of your possessions like:
- Real estate
- Vehicles
- Bank accounts
- High-priced jewelry
- Bonds
- Stocks
- Credit cards
- Private credit
Don't get alarmed by the amount of money you will have to pay back. Your bondsman will most likely give you convenient payment terms. The bonding company's reasonable fee is not much compared to the comfort that the bail bondsman in Houston County will give you by securing your release from prison in the quickest manner possible by facilitating the bail process. Know that somebody out there can aid you in times of great need. You or your representative can choose from the bondsmen listed in our site. Most of them are open for business 24 hours a day.
