Bail Bonds are a type of security with the court, in which the defendant is released before the trial so they won’t have to spend the time in jail. The money put up for bail is to give incentive for the defendant to show up and not skip out on their court dates. A bail bond company will provide this surety to the court and this allows someone to be released without having to have the entire bond amount in cash. All the defendants have to do is pay the bond company a percentage of the bail amount.
A surety bond is where a third party bail bondsman agrees to be responsible for the full bail debt. The bail bondsmen in exchange for being responsible to the court then charges between 8-10% of the total. which the defendant must pay. The bail bond company will keep their fee regardless even once the person returns for all of the necessary court dates. However, this allows for the defendant to only pay a portion of the total fee, and they don’t have to come up with potentially thousands of dollars up front. The defendant needs to return for all of their required court dates. If they don’t, then the bail bondsman will have to pay the entire amount and you or a loved one will be responsible for compensation. A warrant will also be issued against the defendant. The person that skipped out on bail will be hunted for, and this makes everything worse.
The amount of premium you pay for bail depends on the situation and the defendant’s history. If they pose more of a flight risk, or someone bailing them out doesn’t have a strong financial situation, then the fee may be more. Indiana bail bondsmen are able to charge between 8-10% of the bail amount. Indiana regulates the bail bond process and requires that the entire premium is paid up front. This is not the case in all states. The constitution actually includes a section about bail and states that it can’t be used to punish someone or be to raise money for the government. Many people don’t realize that bail is a constitutionally protected right.
Once the defendant is bailed out they will then have to comply with any conditions the judge has set. If they break these, then the bail may be revoked. These conditions could include obeying laws, or they might not be allowed to contact someone, etc. But don’t worry if something doesn’t make sense, all you have to do is give A-1 Bail Bond Service a call and we will help you through the bail process.
