It’s a situation many of us would never expect to find ourselves in, but if one of your family members ended up being arrested and sent to jail, would you know the best procedure for getting them released on bail. It is certainly better to arm yourself with the appropriate knowledge before the event happening when your mind is crystal clear and under no stress. We hope that the information contained in this article is never needed by you or your family, but if it is then we will be glad to have helped you navigate a stressful situation.
Bail – What Is It?
When someone is arrested, in nearly every circumstance the judge will grant bail of a certain financial amount. The amount set will depend on some things such as previous character, the severity of the offense, and the judge’s views as to how likely it is that the subject will abscond if given bail. Once the amount of bail has been deposited with the relevant authorities. If the accused person does not present themselves at court for the next hearing, then that bail money is forfeited.
For the majority of people who find themselves in this situation, the amount of bail can be prohibitive. Even if bail were set at $20,000, not many people would be able to lay their hands on that amount of money quickly and easily. That is exactly the situation where a bail bonds company comes in.
Bail Bonds Company
A bail bonds company, like this one in Norwalk, CA will cover the cost of the bail money for you. In general, you will pay them a 10 percent deposit which is non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of the case. They will then pay the whole cost of the bail, enabling you to get your family member released from jail quickly and with very little hassle. Once again though you need to take into consideration the probability of your family member turning up, because if they don’t then the bail bonds company will go to whatever lengths they can to recover their money.
This could even involve employing the services of a bounty hunter, who will track the accused down and return them to the court. When this happens, the bail bonds company will get the majority of their bail money returned. However, they will then bill the person who made the original agreement for the extra costs of employing the bounty hunter, and probably some administrative cost as well.
The other significant benefit of using a bail bonds company is that they fully understand the procedure for each and every jail in the state. It might seem strange, but each jail will have its proceedings to follow, and because the bail bonds company deal with all of the jails on a daily basis, they will know exactly how to expedite matters to get your loved one released as quickly as possible. They can also give you informed opinion and assist you with understanding the procedure. Employing a Bail Bonds company might not be a cheap experience, but in the majority of cases, it is a very worthwhile investment.