Bail bonds
When a person is incarcerated and charged for a severe criminal offense, they need to wait in jail till a bail hearing. It is during this bail hearing that the judge sets the bail amount. If that person can't raise the amount of money, they need to remain in prison up until their court date. But that does not always need to hold true; they can also seek out the help of a bondsman.
Sadly, many people wind up staying in prison up until their court appearance due to the fact that many do not have a large amount of cash sitting around in the bank.
Our site will assist you with bailing out your loved ones by connecting you to reliable and cost effective bail bond agents in Charleston.
Why does a judge impose bail ?
The law permits the services of a commercial bonding company to post a bail bond, also called surety bond, to help a defendant get temporary freedom while awaiting their court hearing.
The law allows two sorts 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 presumed innocent up until proven guilty. Nevertheless, the judge needs to have a guarantee that you will show up in court to face your accuser; hence, the need to post bail. If you show up at all your scheduled criminal procedures as required, and you are in the end found not guilty, the bail will be given back to you. In the case that you are found guilty, the bail amount will be used to take care of the fines and penalties that the court may impose on you. If you skip the court appearances, your bail will be lost and you will be subject to arrest.
The same reasoning applies with the civil bail bonds. The bail imposed on civil cases functions as an assurance or a surety that the defendant will have the ability to pay the fines and penalties that the court may impose on the defendant after the trial.
Should I hire a bondsman?
When you can afford to put up bail by yourself, you certainly don't need to employ the services of a bondsman. For one, they require a small charge for their assistance, as well as the collateral you have to provide for what is undoubtedly classified as a loan.
In nearly all states, the bonding company will charge around 10-20% of the total amount of the bail. You can't get this money back even if you are cleared of the crime. However, you do not need to bother with filing the necessary documents or dealing with court staff because the bail bondsman will take care of everything . Second, you will have a better chance of getting your bail petition accepted by virtue of the reputation of the bonding company alone. Lastly, as a result of their familiarity with the procedure, you can possibly be released from prison in a couple of hours.
Lastly, the bonding company recognizes the advantage of a good impression on the judge and jury. When you are committed to the local or federal prison, you are going to be hauled to the courtroom in the official prisoner's uniform. In contrast, if you made bail, you are able to dress well and make a good impression on the court.
Here's how the bail bonds process works
When you are arrested and charged with a supposed crime, the first thing that you should do is to call a good attorney and somebody, perhaps the attorney himself, that can get you in touch with a bail agent to start the bail bonds procedure. You or your representative can work with the bondsman who will ask you standard questions like the defendant's name, date of birth, and the location or city where the arrest was made. The bail bondsman will then provide you an agreement for putting up your bail . When you agree with the deal, the bail bondsman will handle all the procedures to secure your release. With help from the bondsman, you can get out of jail and enjoy the company of your friends and family once more.
What info should I have when calling a bondsman?
When contacting a bail bondsman, make certain you know:
- The full name of the offender
- The name of the jail the accused is incarcerated in
- The booking number
- The charges
- Any other relevant info you can think of
Will the bail bondsman need collateral for their service?
If a bail bondsman requires collateral for putting up bail will vary between cases, however, it is a common practice in the business. Regarding the type of collateral that is accepted, the list is simply far too long to mention all. But if a bondsman thinks that an item has value, it can be used as collateral. Below are just some examples:
- House or property
- Vehicles, boats, yachts
- Jewelry or gemstones
- Shares, stocks or equities
- Bank accounts
- TV, appliances or other electronics
- Antiques or art collections
- Farm equipment
And when available, you could also take advantage of payment plans provided by a bonding company.
If you or a family member run the risk of remaining in prison for a long time simply because you can't raise the bail amount, a bondsman is the only course of action that is left. By using our site you can find a bonding company in Charleston. A lot of them are open 24x7.
