Bail bonds
In its essence, a bail bond is a type of guarantee that you are going to attend the hearing at the date specified. In return, you will be permitted to remain free even though you are still awaiting trial for a civil or criminal charge. Without a bail bond, you will remain prison while waiting for the court to rule on either conviction or acquittal. A bondsman can post bail for you and get you released from jail.
Depending upon the allegation, the cost of bail could be high. Not many accuseds have the ability to put up the bond. Certainly there's a good reason why the penal system is overloaded. However, there's a lawful manner in which to earn your temporary release from jail even when your lawsuit is ongoing. With our site you can look for a trusted bondsman in Champaign County.
Use a bail bond to gain temporary freedom after an arrest
The judicial system allows a bail bondsman to post a bail bond, also referred to as surety bond, to help those arrested and charged with a criminal offense get temporary freedom while waiting for their court hearing.
The law allows two kinds of bail bond-- a criminal bail bond as well as a civil bail bond.
To be clear, a judge does not require a criminal bail bond to penalize you for your alleged crime. You are still innocent until proven guilty. That being said, the judge requires an assurance that you will show up at trial to face your accuser; thus, the requirement to post bail. If you show up at all your scheduled criminal procedures as promised, and you are eventually found not guilty, the bail will be repaid to you. In case you are found guilty, the bail will be used to pay for the penalties and fines that the judge might enforce on you. If you miss the court hearings, your bail will be forfeited and you will be subject to arrest.
On the contrary, the civil bail bonds imposed on civil cases serve as a guarantee or a surety with the court where the debts, interests, and charges enforced on the offender can be taken from.
How useful is a bail bond?
A bail bondsman is your best opportunity to not spend too much time in prison when you don't have sufficient cash available to post your bail. A bail bond company typically charges a non-refundable rate of 10% of the total bail. That is no more than fair, considering the risk the bail bondsman is taking in putting up the bond. Anyway, the most important thing is to get you released from jail, and for that have to find a trustworthy bail bondsman in your area.
A contract with a bondsman is also handy given that they will help with your release from prison, simplifying a difficult judicial process. You can simply reach out to a bail bondsman who can provide you a deal and request you to give the relevant information about yourself, or someone you wish to bail out of jail. If you accept the contract, you can just relax and wait for the bail bondsman to put up the bail on your behalf.
Needless to say you still need to show up at your hearing. However, now that you're free on bail, you can show up in court in your own clothes. If you had stayed in jail for failure to post bail, you would have shown up in court in a prison jumpsuit -- and that does not make a good impression. A bondsman makes it possible for you to make a decent appearance before the judge, which matters a whole lot given that first impressions count.
How the bail bonds process works
Bear in mind: In case you get arrested and booked for an alleged crime, instantly ask for an attorney to speak for you and protect your civil rights. Also, call a reliable person to connect you with a bondsman to begin the bail process. As soon as this contact is made, the bondsman will require answers to basic questions like the accused's name, date of birth, and the area or city of the arrest. The bail bondsman will then propose to post the bail bond for you in return for a service fee. Once the deal is made, the bondsman will move forward with the necessary actions to secure your release from jail. Within hours, following the actions taken by your bondsman, you can walk out of jail, a free man once again.
What your bail bondsman needs to know about you
After you or a friend get in contact with a bonding company, they will ask for the folowing information:
- The full name of the defendant
- The name and location of the jailhouse where the accused is held
- The booking number in the police blotter
- The charges filed against the suspect
- Any extra relevant details
What is accepted as collateral?
Almost always, the bonding company will ask for collateral with the deal. This is understandable, considering the risks that are involved. An inmate is a flight risk, and are plenty of examples where a bail bondsman had to hire a bounty hunter to recover the fleeing suspect.
But what is accepted as collateral? In a nut-shell, when a bonding company considers something valuable, you are able to use it as collateral for the bail. Listed below are a couple of examples:
- Real estate
- Automobiles
- Equities
- Jewelry
- Electronic devices
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
If you find that the bond is too steep, bail bonds companies usually offer payment plans that you can use. Simply speak with the bondsman to figure out what option is the best one with regard to your situation.
You can use our website to find a bail bondsman that will be perfect for you. Almost all of them operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready to help you or your loved one to spend the as little time as possible in jail.
