Bail bonds are a type of security that the court requires in order for a defendant to be released from prison. This is only temporary, since they will have to go back for court dates, and if convicted they will then have to serve out the time, or any other punishment the court decides. The purpose of the bail bond is to prevent the person that is released form running away since they won’t get their money back. A bail bond is a surety bond.
A surety bond is where a separate party (not the defendant, or family member), agrees to be responsible for the debt or money of the bail bond company. In most areas, this can be done by a bail bondsman. The agent in exchange for doing this will take this responsibility for charging an 8-10% fee. The bail bondsman will keep this fee, even after the defendant returns for their required court dates. But this means you or the defendant won’t have to put up potentially thousands of dollars for bail. Some stays don’t allow for surety bonds and require cash bonds. If you aren’t sure what your options are, then you can give us a call and we would love to help. If the defendant doesn’t show up for their required court dates, then they will be responsible for the entire bail amount. You will then have another warrant put on you and often you will be found by the law or a bounty hunter.
The amount of your bail will be determined by the court and be determined by a few different aspects, including the crime, past crimes, and evidence. This is not something that the bail bond company can change. The constitution does protect from excessive bail. Once the person is released they will have to follow and obey all of the conditions that are set on the person, and if they break any of these conditions of release, then there will be consequences and you will be re-arrested. These conditions will be spelled out for you. Talk to your bail bond agent if you have any questions or concerns. We are able to make the process fast and as stress-free as possible.
