Bail bonds
If an offender is arrested, he or she will have to spend time in jail while waiting for their bail hearing. This hearing is a procedure where the judge is going to determine the amount of bail that functions as a guarantee to the court for the temporary liberty of the defendant. But not everyone can pay the requested amount of bail, and then he or she would need to stay in prison during the trial. Fortunately, {it is possible to enlist the services of|you can make use of the services of a bail bondsman to put up the bail.
We will help you search for professional bondsmen in Polk County that can ensure that you or your loved ones can be free, at the very least up until the sentencing.
Definition of bail bond
A bail bond allows the accused to leave the custody of the police coupled with some preconditions set by the court. For example, the accused is not permitted to get out of the state as long as the lawsuit is ongoing. If the defendant flees or neglects to go to the trial despite repeated summons, the court will forfeit the bail.
The bail bond applies to either civil and criminal indictments. With the surety, the bail bond company in Polk County is accountable to the court in the event that the defendant takes off.
How beneficial is a bail bond?
A bail bondsman is your biggest hope to not spend considerable time in prison if you don't have enough cash available to post your bail. A bail bondsman typically charges a non-refundable rate of 10% of the total bail amount. That is just reasonable, taking into account the risk the company is taking in providing the bond. Anyway, the most important thing is to get you out of prison, and for that to happen need to search for a reliable bonding company in your city.
An agreement with a bonding company is also handy due to the fact that they can help with your release from prison, simplifying a complex judicial process. You can simply reach out to a bail agent who will offer you an agreement and ask you to provide the necessary information about yourself, or an individual you intend to bail out of jail. When you accept the deal, you can just sit tight and wait for the bondsman to post the bail on your behalf.
Obviously you still have to show up at your court hearing. But now that you're free on a bond, you can appear in court in your own clothes. If you had stayed in prison because you could not afford to pay bail, you would appear in court in a jail uniform-- and that's not a pretty sight to see. A bail bondsman allows you to make a respectable appearance in court, which really matters a lot considering that first impressions matter.
How does the bail bond process work?
Finding the right bonding company is important. Unfortunately, there are dishonest businesses out there who take advantage of unsuspecting families who are already desperate for help.
Make sure you are ready when you talk to a bonding company. Ask all your questions, and only once all your questions are answered should you continue with the next steps of employing their services. They can then continue with posting the bail and submitting the required paperwork to get you or your loved one released from jail.
What your bail bondsman needs to know about you
When you or a family member get in touch with a bondsman, the latter will ask the following questions:
- The full name of the offender
- The name and location of the prison where the suspect is held
- The booking number in the police blotter
- The charges filed against the accused
- Any extra relevant info
What is accepted as collateral?
Almost always, the bondsman will ask for collateral with the transaction. This is understandable, taking into consideration the risks involved. An inmate is a flight risk, and are countless occasions where a bondsman needed to employ a bounty hunter to bring back the fleeing defendant.
But what is accepted as collateral? In a nut-shell, if a bondsman considers an asset valuable, you are able to use it as a guarantee for the bail. Below are a couple of examples:
- Real estate
- Cars
- Equities
- Jewelry
- Electronic devices
- Bank accounts
- Visa or mastercard
If you find that the bond is too high, bonding companies have payment plans that you can use. Simply talk to the bail bondsman to determine which option is best suited with regard to your circumstances.
You can use this website to look for a bail bondsman that is perfect for your needs. Almost all of them are open 24x7, ready to help you or a family member to spend the least amount of time in prison as possible.
