Most people try to avoid having too much contact with the criminal justice system if they can avoid it. Sometimes things happen, though, and you find yourself caught up in that system. In the event that you’re arrested, charged, and arraigned for trial, the judge may set your bail; a certain amount of money you have to hand over in order to be released. Said money will be returned to you once you show up for court, as it’s only given to the court as a way to guarantee that you show up once you’ve been released.
If you can afford to post that bail, then you can do so and walk out without any real issue. If you can’t afford to post the bail yourself, though, that’s when most people turn to a bail bond service to help them out.
What Are Bail Bonds, and How Do They Work?
Bail bonds might seem like a scary proposal to those who’ve never had to rely on them before, but they are simpler than most people think. The way they work is that you have a meeting with a bail bond service, they review the details of your case, and if they agree to work with you then the bail bond company posts your bail. In return, though, you must pay a small fee to the bail bond service. Once you’ve been released from jail, the bail bond service keeps track of your movements, and ensures you show up for your court date. When you show up to court, the service has the bond they put up for you returned to them. You don’t get a refund on your money, though, because that’s how these services stay in business; the fee you pay is their profit for taking the risk on bailing you out.
So what sort of percentage are you looking at when it comes to making bail?
As an example, let’s say the court set you a $5,000 bail. That’s not a small amount of money, and if you’re like most people you simply don’t have that much in sitting around in your bank account just waiting to be put into the hands of the court. However, say a bail bond service charges you 10 percent of your total bail in order to get you out. Under this contract, you pay a bail bond service a $500 fee, and the service posts your $5,000 bail for you. You won’t get that $500 back the way you would have gotten your bail returned to you had you posted it, but if you simply cannot afford the amount of bail set for you, a bail bond service can help you get out of jail so you can start planning your legal defense.
It should also be noted, according to Bail Bond Information Center, that a bail bond company might also take out a security against a client’s assets which will be enforced in the event the client doesn’t show up for their day in court. A bail bond company can also sue an individual for monies owed if they don’t show up in court, and in some cases they may hire professionals to track their client down and return them to the courts.
While getting a bail bond might sound scary, it’s important to remember that this is just one option you can pursue to help get you out of jail. For more options, as well as additional information on how bail bonds work, all you have to do is contact us to speak with one of our legal experts today!
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this article does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Please contact attorney Kirk Anderson for an initial consultation.