Bail bonds
Among the most frightening places you can find yourself in is inside a jail cell after you have been arrested and accused of an supposed criminal offense. Things could go south even further if you or your loved ones have no immediate cash available to post your bail bond, which will allow you get released from jail until your court hearing. In such a challenging situation, you first have to calm yourself, think straight, and go for the most effective solution: Call a bail bondsman who can really help a lot in getting you out of prison.
You are permitted at least one phone call after your arrest. Use that telephone call to a family member and ask him or her to connect with a bail bond agent. Your family member can use our website to search for a trustworthy bail bondsman in Tazewell County who can then post the required bail on your behalf to get you your freedom.
Why does a judge impose a bail bond ?
The law permits the services of a bondsman to post a bail bond, also referred to as surety bond, to help an offender get temporary freedom while waiting for their court hearing.
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 punish you for your alleged criminal offense. You are still innocent until proven guilty. Having said that, the judge needs to have an assurance that you will appear in court to face your accuser; thus, the need to post bail. If you attend all your scheduled criminal procedures as promised, and you are in the end found not guilty, the bail will be returned to you. If you are condemned, the bail money will be used to pay for the fines and penalties that the judge may enforce on you. If you skip the court hearings, your bail will be lost and you will be subject to arrest.
The same justification holds with civil bail bonds. The bail imposed on civil cases works as an assurance or a surety that the accused will be able to pay the penalties and fines that the judge might enforce on the offender after the trial.
A bondsman is your way to freedom
A bail bondsman is your quick link to getting out of jail after your arrest. When you don't have sufficient money to bail yourself out and gain temporary liberty, your best course of action is a trusted bail bond company that will post the bail on your behalf. Most bail bondsmen charge a premium of 10% of the bail amount. That is no more than reasonable, considering the risk the bail bondsman is taking in putting up the money. If you don't turn up at trial, the court will forfeit the bail provided by the bonding company. In any case, you do not need to bother yourself with the financial calculations right now. Your most immediate concern is to get yourself released from prison, and a trusted bail bondsman can make that happen.
Additionally, you need not bother yourself with the tricky judicial procedure in putting up bail since the bondsman will handle that to help with your release from jail. All that needs to be done is for you or your representative to contact a reputable bail agent. That agent will propose you a deal, offering to post your bail to get you out of prison in return for a small fee. With your consent, the bail bondsman will then pay the bail on your behalf, releasing you from custody.
You still will have to go to your court hearing though. But you will be appearing in court in civilian clothes and not in a prison jumpsuit. That could boost your self-confidence as you deliver your defense. Moreover, the judge hearing your case will likely have a more favorable impression of you, rather than if you were to turn up in court clothed in jail attire, seeming like you're already guilty of the crime you're indicted for even before the judge can make a ruling. You can give thanks your bondsman for arranging this.
How does the bail bond process work?
Finding a good bail bondsman is important. Unfortunately, there are deceitful individuals around that prey on unsuspicious people who are already desperate for help.
So be prepared when you talk to a bonding company. Ask all your questions, and only after all your worries are quelled should you take the subsequent steps of employing their services. The bondsman can then continue with paying the bail and submitting the necessary papers to get you or a family member out.
Information your bail bondsman needs
When you contact a bonding company, you have to share the following details:
- Your full name if you are the offender
- The name and location of the jail where the defendant is detained
- The booking number in the police blotter
- The charges filed against the defendant
- Any other relevant details
Will the bail bondsman require collateral for their service?
If a bondsman requires collateral for posting bail differs between cases, but it is a common practice in the industry. Regarding the type of collateral that is accepted, the list is just way too long to mention everything. But if a bail bondsman thinks that an item is valueable, it can be acceptable as collateral. Listed below are just a couple of examples:
- Real estate or land
- Cars, boats, yachts
- Jewelry or gems
- Shares, stocks or equities
- Bank accounts
- TV, appliances or gadgets
- Antiques or art
- Farm equipment
And if available, you can also take advantage of payment plans offered by a bail bondsman.
If you or a family member run the risk of remaining in prison for a long time because you can't raise the bail money, a bail bondsman is the only alternative that is left. On our site you can search for a bonding company in Tazewell County. A lot of them are open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
