Bail bonds
When an individual is incarcerated and taken into custody for a serious crime, they need to wait in jail till a bail hearing. It is during this bail hearing that the judge determines the bail amount. If that individual can't raise the amount, they have to remain in jail up until their court date. But that does not always have to hold true; they can also look for the services of a bondsman.
Unfortunately, most people wind up remaining in jail up until their court appearance because most do not have a large sum of money sitting around in the bank.
Our site will assist you with bailing out your loved ones by connecting you to credible and economical bail bond representatives in Otter Tail County.
Use a bail bond to gain temporary freedom after getting arrested
The legal system allows a bondsman to post a bail bond, also called surety bond, to help people apprehended and accused of a criminal offense gain temporary freedom while waiting for their trial.
The law allows two kinds of bail bond-- 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 presumed innocent up until proven guilty. That being said, the court needs to have an assurance that you will show up in court to face your accuser; therefore, the requirement to post bail. If you attend all of your scheduled criminal procedures as promised, and you are eventually found not guilty, the bail amount will be returned to you. If you are condemned, the bail amount will be used to cover the fines and penalties that the court might enforce on you. If you miss the court hearings, the bail will be lost and you will be subject to arrest.
However, the civil bail bonds enforced on civil cases function as an assurance or a surety with the court where the debts, interests, and charges imposed on the offender can be taken from.
Do I need to hire a bail bondsman?
When you can afford to put up bail by yourself, you certainly don't need to employ the services of a bail bondsman. For one, they require a fee for their service, as well as the collateral you have to provide for what is certainly categorized as a loan.
In almost all states, the bail bondsman will charge a fee of around 10-20% of the overall amount of the bond. You will not get this money refunded even if you are cleared of the crime. On the upside, you don't have to bother with submitting the necessary documents or need to deal with court personnel since the bondsman will take care of all that . Secondly, you will have a better chance of having your bail petition approved by virtue of the reputation of the bail bondsman alone. Third, as a result of their experience with the procedure, you can possibly be out of jail in a couple of hours.
And finally, the bail bonds company knows the benefit of a good impression on the judge and jury. When you are transferred to the local or federal jail, you are going to be transported to the courthouse in the official inmate's jumpsuit. On the other hand, when you are out on a bail bond, you can dress smartly and ensure a good impression on the court.
Here's how the bail bonds process works
In the event that you get detained and charged with a supposed criminal offense, the first thing that you have to do is to call a attorney and someone, perhaps the attorney himself, that can connect you to a bondsman to start the bail bonds process. You or your representative can work with the bail bondsman that will ask you common questions like the suspect's name, date of birth, and the place or city of the arrest. The bondsman will then give you an agreement for posting your bail bond. When you agree with the arrangement, the bondsman will deal with all the formalities to get you out of jail. With the aid of the bail bondsman, you can get out of prison and be in the c ompany of your family once again.
What your bail bondsman needs to know about you
When you or a family member connect with a bail bondsman, the latter will ask for the folowing information:
- The full name of the offender
- The name and location of the jail where the suspect is detained
- The booking number in the police blotter
- The charges filed against the accused
- Any other relevant information
Will the bondsman require collateral for their service?
Whether or not a bonding company requires collateral for differs between cases, however, it is a common practice in the industry. Regarding the type of collateral that is acceptable, the list is simply way too long to mention all. But if a bondsman believes that something is valueable, it could be acceptable as collateral. Below are just a few examples:
- Real estate or land
- Cars, boats, yachts
- Jewelry or gems
- Shares, stocks or equities
- Bank accounts
- TV, appliances or gadgets
- Antiques or art collections
- Farm equipment
And when available, you could also take advantage of payment plans provided by a bail bondsman.
When you or a family member are in danger of staying in prison for quite some time simply because you can't come up with the bail amount, a bail bondsman is the only course of action that is left. On our site you can look for a bondsman in Otter Tail County. Most of them available 24x7.
