Bail bonds
Essentially, a bail bond is a sort of guarantee that you will show up at the court hearing at the specified date. In return, you are allowed to walk free despite the fact that you are still awaiting trial for a criminal or civil charge. Without a bail bond, you will remain prison while waiting for the court to decide on either acquittal or conviction. A bail bondsman can pay bail for you and get you released from jail.
Depending upon the charge, the cost of bail can be high. Very few defendants can post the bail bond. Certainly there's a good reason why the penal system is overloaded. However, there's a lawful solution to earn your temporary release even if your case is on-going. Using our site you can locate a credible bondsman in City of Emporia.
Why does a judge impose bail ?
The legal system allows the services of a bondsman to post a bail bond, also called surety bond, to help a defendant get temporary liberty while waiting for their trial.
The law allows two kinds of bail -- a criminal bail bond as well as a civil bail bond.
To make it clear, a court does not impose a criminal bail bond to punish you for your alleged criminal offense. You are still presumed innocent till proven guilty. Even so, 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 your arranged criminal procedures as promised, and you are in the end found not guilty, the bail amount will be returned to you. In the case that you are found guilty, the bail amount will be used to cover the penalties and fines that the judge may impose on you. If you skip the court appearances, the bail will be lost and you will be subject to getting arrested.
The same justification applies to civil bail bonds. The bail enforced on civil cases serves as an assurance or a surety that the suspect will be able to pay the penalties and fines that the judge might impose on the offender after the trial.
Should I hire a bail bondsman?
If you can afford to pay bail by yourself, you certainly don't have to hire a bail bondsman. For one, they ask a charge for their assistance, in addition to the collateral you must provide for what is certainly classified as a loan.
In nearly all states, the bonding company will charge a rate 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 charge. However, you do not need to worry about filing the necessary documents or have to deal with court personnel because the bonding company will handle all that for you. Secondly, you will have a better chance of getting your bail request accepted by virtue of the credibility and reputation of the bonding company alone. Third, because of their familiarity with the procedure, you can possibly be released from jail in a matter of hours instead of days.
And lastly, the bonding company understands the benefit of a good first impression on the judge and jury. If you are transferred to the local or federal jail, you are going to be transported to the courtroom in the official inmate's uniform. In contrast, when you are out on a bail bond, you are able to dress well and make a good first impression on the court.
How does the bail bond process work?
Choosing the right bonding company is very important. Unfortunately, there are shady individuals around that prey on unwary people that are already desperate .
So be prepared when you contact a bail bondsman. Ask all your questions, and only after all your doubts are quelled should you continue with the next steps of employing them. The bonding company can then start with posting the bail and submitting the required papers to get you or a family member released from jail.
What details does a bonding company need?
When you contact a bondsman, they will need to know:
- The full name and age of the accused
- The jail where the accused is locked up
- The booking reference number and the charge
Will the bail bondsman require collateral for their service?
Whether or not a bondsman will want collateral for will vary between cases, however, it is common in the industry. Regarding the type of collateral that is accepted, the list is simply far too long to mention all of it. But if a bail bondsman thinks that an item has value, it could be used as collateral. Below are just a couple of examples:
- Real estate or land
- Vehicles, boats, yachts
- Jewelry or gems
- Shares, stocks or equities
- Bank accounts
- TV, appliances or gadgets
- Antiques or art
- Farm equipment
And when available, you can also take advantage of payment options provided by a bail bondsman.
If you or your loved ones run the risk of staying in jail for quite some time because you can't come up with the amount, a bondsman is the only course of action that is left. By using our site you can search for a bail bondsman in City of Emporia. Many of them are open for business day and night.
