Bail bonds
When a person is incarcerated and charged for a severe criminal offense, they need to wait in jail up until 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 stay in jail until their court hearing. However that does not always need to hold true; they can also seek the services of a bail bondsman.
Regrettably, most people wind up staying in jail until their court appearance because a lot of do not have a large amount of money sitting around in the bank.
Our site will help you with bailing out your loved ones by connecting you to reputable and budget-friendly bail bond representatives in Sweetwater County.
Use a bail bond to gain temporary freedom after getting arrested
The law allows a bail bondsman to post a bail bond, also referred to as surety bond, to help individuals arrested and charged with a criminal offense gain temporary freedom while awaiting their court appearance.
The law allows two types of bail -- a criminal bail bond as well as a civil bail bond.
To make it clear, a court does not require a criminal bail bond to penalize you for your supposed criminal offense. You are still presumed innocent until proven guilty. Nonetheless, the court needs to have a guarantee that you will appear in court to face your accuser; thus, the requirement to post bail. If you show up at all your arranged criminal proceedings as promised, and you are eventually found not guilty, the bail will be given back to you. In case you are found guilty, the bail will be used to pay for the penalties and fines that the court might impose on you. When you miss the court appearances, the bail will be forfeited and you will be subject to getting arrested.
On the other hand, the civil bail bonds imposed on civil cases function as an assurance or a surety with the court where the debts, interests, and fees imposed on the accused can be paid from.
How beneficial is a bail bond?
A bail bondsman is your best opportunity to not spend considerable time in prison when you don't have enough cash available to pay your bail. A bondsman typically requires a non-refundable rate of 10% of the bail. That is just fair, taking into account the risk the bail bondsman is taking in providing the bail bond. In any case, the most important thing is to get you released from jail, and for that to happen have to find a dependable bondsman in your city.
A contract with a bail bondsman is also useful given that they can help with your release from jail, simplifying a complicated legal procedure. You can simply call a bail bondsman who will provide you a deal and request you to give the required info about yourself, or somebody you want to bail out of jail. If you agree to the deal, you can simply sit tight and wait for the bondsman to put up the bail for you.
Needless to say you still need to be at your court hearing. But now that you're out on bail, you can appear before a judge in your own clothes. When you had stayed in prison because you could not post bail, you would appear in court in a jail jumpsuit -- and that's not a pretty sight to see. A bondsman allows you to have a decent appearance in court, which matters a whole lot considering that first impressions count.
Here's how the bail bonds process works
In case you get detained and accused of an alleged criminal offense, the first thing that you have to do is to speak with a attorney and somebody, perhaps the attorney himself, that can hook you up with a bonding company to start the bail bonds procedure. You or your representative can work with the bail bondsman that is going to ask you basic questions like the suspect's name, date of birth, and the area or city of the arrest. The bondsman will then offer you an arrangement for posting your bail bond. Upon your approval of the arrangement, the bail bondsman will handle all the formalities to get you out of jail. With the help of the bail bondsman, you can leave jail and enjoy the company of your loved ones once again.
What info should I have when contacting a bonding company?
When contacting a bail bondsman, ensure you know:
- The full name of the offender
- The name of the jail the accused is jailed in
- The booking number
- The charges
- Any other relevant information you can think of
What is accepted as collateral?
In most cases, the bondsman will require collateral with the deal. This is understandable, taking into account the risks involved. An inmate is a flight risk, and are many examples where a bonding company had to employ a bounty hunter to bring back the fleeing suspect.
But what is acceptable as collateral? In a nut-shell, when a bonding company considers an asset valuable, you can use it as collateral for the bail bond. Below are a couple of examples:
- Realty
- Autos
- Equities
- Jewelry
- Electronic devices
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
If you find that the bond is too expensive, bail bonds companies usually have payment options that you can use. Just speak with the bail bondsman to figure out what option is the best one for your circumstances.
Use this site to find a bonding company that will be perfect for your needs. Most of them operate 24/7, ready to assist you or a friend to spend the least amount of time in jail as possible.
