If you or a loved one has been arrested, you’re probably going to hear about bail, and you may have a lot of questions. How much will it cost? Who determines the amount? How can you arrange for the bond? Can you afford it? What if the terms of the bail aren’t kept? Will you ever get your money back? If you aren’t familiar with the court system, you may not feel very comfortable with the idea of using bail bonds.
More Than a Scene on Television
The truth is that most people don’t really know much about bail other than what they’ve seen on TV, but the actual process is a bit more complicated than that. It’s easiest to understand how this process works as an agreement between the defendant and the court. The defendant surrenders a specific amount of money or assets to the court, then if the defendant attends all court dates, the defendant will get any bail amount back. The money is held by the court as an exchange; the defendant doesn’t have to stay in prison. Even if, at the end of court proceedings, the defendant is convicted, the bail money will be returned.
Make To Court On Time
Remember, if the defendant appears at all court dates and abides by any other terms set by the court, then the bail money will be returned. On the other hand, if the defendant leaves town or skips a court date, the court will keep the money and issue a warrant for the defendant’s arrest. If the defendant doesn’t abide by the terms of bail, it may also impact future requests for this arrangement.
Who Has $10,000?
What if you can’t afford to pay the amount of bail established by the court? There are options available to defendants. For example, bail bonds harrisburg pa agencies offer a loan for the amount of bail. The defendant provides a small percentage of the bail amount and the bail bondsperson provides the rest. However, you will need to provide something as collateral as a guarantee to the bondsperson.
Don’t Try To Run
This professional is taking a pretty large financial risk on the defendant’s behalf, so collateral is usually pretty significant, such as a deed to a home or car. If the defendant doesn’t make it to a court date, the bail bond agency will gain ownership of that home or car. When defendants do head out of town, the bondsperson may hire a bounty hunter to track the defendant down and return them to jail.
Get Out of Jail
In addition to providing the necessary funds for the defendant to make bail, the bail bond agency will probably call the defendant before court dates as reminders. Bail bondspersons may also require the defendant to check-in at the agency from time to time. Most people feel that these requirements are a good exchange for not having to stay in jail.