If you or a loved one has ever been arrested, you are likely familiar with bail bonds. However, if this is not the cast, bail bonds may be confusing.
What is Bail?
To understand bail bonds, you first have to understand what exactly bail it. When someone is arrested, they are taken into custody, and typically, they are held in jail until they go to trial. Bail is the amount of money or property that the defendant must provide to the court in order to be released from custody until their trial date.
The reason bail exists in the first place is to ensure that the defendant will actually appear in court when they are required to. The bail money will be forfeited if the defendant does not show up to court, and then the defendant is able to be rearrested.
What is a Bail Bond?
A bail bond is a kind of insurance policy purchased from a bail bond service company. The company will pay the full amount of the bail to the court in exchange for a fee from the client. The fee is usually 10% of the entire bail amount.
For instance, if the bail is set at $20,000, the bail bondsman will pay the full amount, and the defendant will pay $2,000 to the bail bonds company. The bail bonds company will then guarantee that the defendant will show up in court as they are required to do. If the defendant does not show up, it is the bail bonds company that will be responsible for the total amount.
How Does the Process Work?
The process usually begins when the defendant’s loved one reaches out to a bail bonds company. They will then give all of the necessary information about the defendant, their arrest, their crime(s), and the total bail amount.
The bail bonds company then takes a look at the risks involved with this particular defendant. These details include the defendant’s criminal history (if there is one), the defendant’s likelihood of appearing in court, and any ties the defendant has to the overall community. If the bail bonds company can then determine that there is a low risk, they will agree to post bail.
When the bail bond has been agreed upon by all parties, a contract will be signed with the company. This contact will include all of the terms and conditions of the bail bond, and it will include the fee the defendant (or his or her representative) will need to pay to the bail bonds company.
After this, the bail bondsman will pay the court, and then the defendant will be released from jail. The defendant will then be required to show up in court as they are scheduled. Should they fail to appear, the bail bonds company will pay the entire bail amount.
The process of going to a bail bonds company may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to. All you have to do is find a bail bondsman that will help guide you through every step of the process and answer any questions you may have.
