When someone is arrested and charged with a crime, a judge determines if they are eligible for bail. The judge has the authority to release the defendant without any bail, set bail for a specific amount or decide that the defendant is ineligible for any bail. In addition to this, the judge can determine the type of bail that the defendant receives.
The judge takes three things into consideration when deciding bail.
- The type of crime the defendant is suspected of having committed – is the defendant suspected of a violent crime?
- The level of threat that the defendant may pose to the public – has the defendant been convicted of other crimes?
- The likelihood that the defendant will flee before criminal proceedings – does the defendant have any familial ties to the area?
In addition to considering these factors, judges may consider the defendant’s economic resources. For example, a low-income defendant may have a lower bond set for the same crime as a higher income defendant.
Secured Bail
A secured bond is the most common type of bond. This type of bond requires that a relative or friend of the defendant pay the bond in order to secure his release. Generally, a family member will pay a bail bondsman 10% of the bond as a fee to put up the total amount. If the defendant doesn’t attend his court date, then the bondsman will seek the rest of the funds from the family member.
Unsecured Bail
Unsecured bail is the middle ground between secured bail and personal recognizance. This type of bail requires a defendant to agree to pay the full bail if they don’t make their court date. However, the defendant does not need to pay any amount to a bondsman, or the court, prior release. If the defendant doesn’t show up to court, then they will be arrested and expected to pay the full amount.
No Bail
If a judge believes that a particular defendant is unfit for any option of bail then the defendant is held in custody until his trial. Though the judge has made an initial determination on bail, the defendant’s attorney can ask the court to review that ruling based on facts that may come to light in the future.
Bail Bondsman
A bail bondsman is essential for anyone who has been arrested. The bail bonds process starts as soon as a person ends up in jail. The first step in the process is the setting of the bail amount. Most people are initially given a bail amount after they are arrested. The amount varies with the crime and the particular situation of the defendant and the arrest. Many defendants are surprised at how much their bail amount has been set for. The good thing is that they will not need to come up with a huge sum of cash that has been established by the judge if they decide to hire a bail bonds company like us.
As a bail bondsman, we can work out flexible payment options, and we offer several advantages to anyone who is in jail. The usual fee is 10 percent of the total of the bail amount. This means that if the judge has set bail at $10,000, a person will have to be able to pay their bail bondsmen $1,000. A signature is also required, and most people rely on their friends or family to initiate the process after they have been arrested. One free phone call is given to people who have been arrested, and an invitation to friends or family can be used to ask them to initiate the bail bonds process by calling us.
If an arrestee does not have anyone to help them with the bail bonds process, they can contact our experienced bail bondsman directly. Our Bail bondsmen accept collect calls and are willing to help you get released from jail fast. People who are unable to come with up the full amount of cash that is required to secure a bail bond may qualify for a payment plan that allows you to make payments on the total bond amount. We may need between one and five percent of the total amount of bail bond. This is used towards the ten percent that will have to be paid in installments. This is an ideal method for a person who needs to get back to work. Usually, it takes several months before a court date is even set. Without bail bonds, many arrestees would have to sit in jail until their court date comes around. This represents a lot of wasted time that is better spent working or enjoying freedom.
The bail bonds process may seem daunting, but it requires little effort for a person who has been arrested to contact a bail guarantor and get out of jail. We can help anyone who has run into trouble with the law and enable a person to get free for as little as one percent of the bond that has been set. This is the best way to stay free.
Bail Bonds Questions Answered
The bail bonds industry can be easily understood. There are a few critical components to the bail bonds process that help it to exist and function well. Once you know how the bail bonds process works, you can understand how it can be used to benefit those who are incarcerated and need help with their release from jail.
The bail amount is set by a judge who reviews the case against the person who has been arrested generally referred to as the defendant. The judge carefully evaluates the severity of the situation and tries to make the right decision about what the amount of the bail should be. After the judge decides the amount, the bail information is accessible by the bail bonds companies.
As bail bondsmen, we generally charge a 10 percent fee to give the bail bond to an individual to free a prisoner from jail. This fee is mandated by law and there only a few exceptions where a discount can be offered. We offer discounts for military people as well as union members along with a few other situations. A valid ID, paycheck stub and utility bill are typically needed for us to provide the bail bond. To help get someone bailed out of jail you must be at least 18 years of age and a United States citizen. Cash, check, credit cards and money orders are all accepted methods of payment for a bail bond to be obtained.
Bail Bonds Information
Once the bail is posted, the prisoner is free from jail within hours. The bail bonds information will say when the prisoner needs to go back to court to see a judge. The signer who requests the bail bond needs to tell the bondsman when the next court case is and make sure that the defendant attends the session.
It is very beneficial to post bail for a defendant. In some cases, it will help with their defense in court. Also, it saves the person from some of the pain and suffering that incarceration may inflict on them before the court date. The defendant may go back to their typical life while they wait for a legal decision. Also, the mindset of the family, friends, and others who care about the perpetrator will be damaged less because they were able to see and talk with the person to comprehend the situation. Users of the bail bonds system are exercising the 8th Amendment which is their legal right that is guaranteed by the constitution.
Sometimes, our bail bonds experts can assist with resolving a warrant without the perpetrator risking a return to jail. Warrants are placed by a judge when a defendant fails to appear in court for his or her case. Next, they are executed by police officers who have permission to find the person, restrain them and take them into custody.
Things to Know About Bail Bonds
Jail is not a fun place for anyone to end up, but unfortunately, this happens to many people on a daily basis in Texas. Sometimes it is just by making a simple little mistake that ends up causing a person to be arrested. Other times, it may be from a more significant type of criminal activity. Nevertheless, for a lot of the cases, there will be a bail amount set that will have to be paid for them to be released from jail. The bail amount can range from reasonably low to extremely high depending on the type of crime that was committed or is alleged to have been committed.
Once a person has had their bail amount set, then they will want to try to get it paid so they can be out of jail as soon as possible. This is where a bail bondsman comes in. Usually, a person will not have enough money themselves to pay for the whole bond. If a person calls a bail bonds company, then the person may only have to pay ten percent up a front of the total amount of the bail and the bail bonds company will put up a bond for the rest of the money with the condition that the defendant will appear in court.
It is important to ask for all of the bail bonds information that a person can. There are some basic facts that a person may not know about. Something that a person will want to ask about is if they will eventually get their ten percent back if they make all of their court appearances. They will not. The 10% fee goes directly to the bail bonds company for performing a valuable service.
If the person that was arrested had a friend or family member cosign for their bail, then that person will also be responsible for making sure that all of the court appearances are made. If just one court appearance is missed, then the cosigner will also be responsible for the whole bond amount. Even when someone loses a court appearance, their bail may also be revoked, and they will then have to go back to jail after a warrant is issued for their arrest.
Our bail bondsmen are available 24 hours a day and 365 days a year since people are arrested every day. Our bail bondsman will be able to give you any other type of bail bonds information that you may be wanting. We also can answer all of the questions that you or your family member may have.
Bail Bonds Release Options
Once a person’s bond amount has been set, they may be wondering what to do next. This is when most people end up having to call an experienced bail bondsman. It is crucial that you try to get all of the bail bonds information you can if a loved one has been arrested. There are several options available for bail bonds service that a person may not even know about. Once the right type of bail bond has been chosen, you will be able to get your loved one out of jail.
A person will be able to post their bond if they have enough cash for the entire amount. This is called a cash bond. If the person fails to make any of their appearances in court though, they will lose the whole bond amount. The court will issue a warrant for the person’s arrest. The person will then have to return to jail.
Bail Bonds Companies
A more common type of bond is where a bail bondsman pays the bail for a fee. You will have to sign a contract with us, the bail bond company or if you have someone else contact us, the bail bond company, then they will have to sign the agreement. If a court appearance is missed, then whoever signed the contract will be responsible for paying the bail back.
Occasionally, a person will be able to post bail by using the property for collateral. The court will put a lien on whatever type of property that was used. In this case, if the person ends up missing any of their court appearances, then the court will have the right to start foreclosing on the property and then to sell it.
Sometimes, a person may be released on their recognizance. This is where individuals will get out of jail without having to pay any bail. Court workers will talk to the person who was arrested and then it will be decided if the individual should be released without any bail being paid.
The last type is called a citation release. This occurs when the police officer who arrested the person in the first place gives a citation. This is usually a citation that tells the person that they will have to appear in court, but they do not have to pay any bail for their release.
A bail bond company like ours will be able to give you more bail bonds information when arrested and also we will be able to answer any questions that you may have about bail release option.