It is a no brainer that no one wants to get arrested, and that too under suspicion only. The trauma and inconvenience that follows after an arrest is not something that words can explain, and only the one getting arrested knows the true pain. But there has been a legal way around for over a century now and is quite popular as well. Yes, you are thinking right, it is the bail bonds.
Bail bonds are a better way to avoid going to jail whilst waiting on your court appearance date for the trial. It is a written agreement and is signed by the person getting arrested, henceforth called the defendant, and a guarantor, known as the bondsman or bail bondsmen, who would loan out the money to the defendant and/or, guarantee the repayment of the bond amount to the court of law. There are many bail bond agencies and legal firms available in the market who expertise in these kinds of situations and would be more than happy to help you. If you are from Monroe County, California, then you may as well check out the bail bonds in Plantation Key.
With so many legal terminology and peculiarities, it can become slightly overwhelming and harder to understand what each of them mean. But you need not worry, as the following article would take care of how bails and bail bonds work and would provide you with all the important and necessary data:
What Does Bail Mean?
Bail, in its literal sense, means to opt out of something. It can be anything, like bailing out of a date or a meeting. But in the law world, it predominantly means to get out of jail or stop being arrested. In most of the cases, the court trial and appearances occur only after months of being arrested initially. This can, and is very obvious, cause people involved, their families and close friends a lot of distress and tension. And not to mention the defamation it would cause to the suspect and their families. All this can be avoided through the bail process.
Bail is the total amount of money that the defendant is required to pay to stay out of jail. The bail culture has been prevalent for a long time, and is quite common amongst many countries. One can apply for bail depending upon the seriousness of the crime they are booked for. Usually, for all non capital crimes, bail can be applied and is usually granted to the defendant. The process can take time, and varies from country to country.
How Bail Works?
There are two ways a defendant can proceed with the bail procedure. First is the immediate bail, granted almost immediately after being booked. This is applicable for all the less serious crimes only, and is not very common in most cases. Secondly, the defendant can file an application to be granted a bail and this can take up to two business days to get processed and approved. The bail money, or fine, mostly depends on two factors – the seriousness of the crime and the decision of the judge. One more secondary factor is considered only in the cases where the defendant has previous crime records, and this makes the bail process weak.
What Are Bail Bonds?
These are similar to bails, and are designed to keep you out of the jail. However, in bonds, the defendant is not required to actually pay up the bail money. They can hire a bonds firm, an agency which is willing to help you out with the bail amount by involving a close friend or relative as their guarantor. If the defendant fails to pay up the amount, the amount would be deducted from the guarantor’s end. This way, the bondsmen assure and confirm that the defendant would be paying the bail money, sooner or later.
Bail bonds or as they are also known as surety bonds or surety bails, depending on which state you are from, are not very common all across the world. In fact, there are only a few countries, like the USA, and the Philippines, where this is actually accepted and valid legally.
How Do They Work?
These bondsmen, or simply, the bail agents have well written, detailed and documented proof of the bail settlement, which is then signed by the defendant and their personal guarantor. This provides multiple benefits. First, the money is actually secured, as they have involved a close relative or friend for the procurement process. Secondly, these guarantors assure that the defendant would actually appear before the court of law on the decided date(s) for their trial. Lastly, they are also backed by some financial companies, similar to insurance agents, who would ensure the payment of the amount if things go south.
How Bondsmen Are Benefitted From Bail Bonds?
If the accuser or the defendant ends up paying the amount in court, then the bondsmen get a few percent of the margin, making it a profitable deal for them. However, if they fail to do so, then the process becomes a bit hectic for these bond firms.
They are usually supported by some sort of financial firms and companies that make sure these bondsmen are not going bankrupt just because someone did not pay their bond money. These companies pay the amount in court if the defendant fails to appear, and in return, the bondsmen charge the defendant’s account for up to 10% of the amount, and/or confiscate their collateral in parts, which could be jewelry, electronics, pieces of real estate, etc.
However, one must remember that some states have capped the bond charge to only 8%.
Conclusion:
There are many things to work out and consider while you or someone close to you is getting arrested. First is not to panic and get your lawyer as soon as you can. Next step in order to get the defendant out of jail would be to apply for the bail, and there are many options and types available. Be wise and careful whilst picking up the best form of bail, that would help you get out soon.