So Your Loved One Has Been Arrested - What Next?
Now that you’ve given us a call, what next?
Let’s define the term “bail”. When a suspect is in custody and awaiting a court hearing, they may be released on payment of a sum of agreed money to the court. This occurs after the arrest and prior to their court date. Once the accused appears in court, the money is released back to the hands of the party which paid it. This practice and release fee, which varies from state to state in the US, is called bail.
A bail bond agency is a company which pledges money as a surety that a person accused in court will appear at the next court date. Banks and other loan institutions very rarely (if at all) provide money for bail; however, bail bond agencies are in the business of taking on this particular risk and responsibility to help the accused.
The friends and family of the accused will usually work with a bail bondsman in order to secure the release of the defendant in just a few hours after bail has been set.
First, take a deep breath and call us to get the process started:
Court appearances can be a very stressful time for both the individual and the families of those appearing in court. To add to the trauma of being arrested, an unexpected amount of money is now also demanded in order for the defendant to avoid going to jail whilst awaiting their court appearance.
Bail bonds can help to alleviate some of the stress associated with this process. Bail bonds are used to secure the freedom of defendants in between court appearances by putting up the money for bail, leaving money in the pockets of close friends and family. Knowing about the option of bail bonds is important to keep your loved from going behind bars when they don’t need to, and saving yourself having to pay with your own money.
Here, we present to you an ultimate guide to bail bonds. What they are, how exactly they work, what to do if you or your loved one get arrested, and some facts to keep handy in case you get stuck in a tricky situation.
Once a person is arrested, they will be given a hearing date and a set amount for their bail. It’s now up to them and their friends and/or family to pay for their release in between arrest and court dates. A bail bondsman can step in to help here as a third party.
Once bail is posted by the bail bondsman, it’s then a matter of ensuring the accused turns up at all necessary court appearances. If the accused skips bail, the bondsman will turn bounty hunter and seek out the accused to return them to court. There is usually a grace period where the accused can be returned to court and the bail money re-released back to the bondsman. The bounty hunter will aim to find and return the accused to court within this grace period.
If the accused does skip bail and doesn’t return, the money, as put up by the bail bonds agency, will be taken by the courts. The collateral acting as security for this bail bond will be taken over by the agency from the friend/family acting for the accused. This is why it’s so important that the defendant appears in court, and everyone works together to ensure they follow legal processes necessary.
Step 3: Posting bail.
The bail bond agent will usually need to meet you at their office or the jail to post the bail for release of your loved one.
Step 4: Release from jail.
Depending on how crowded the jail is in your area, the process of posting bail can take anywhere from half an hour to a few hours. Now that the accused has been released from jail, it’s important to ensure that they appear at the next court date and meet the conditions of their bail.
If the defendant does not turn up for court, the bail bond agent will have to pay the courts the full bail amount as agreed. The agent will then attempt to find the defendant and bring them to court to get this money back within an agreed time (usually 90 days). If there was collateral signed over to the bail bond agent, then this will also be taken. However, sticking to the bail conditions and showing for court will ensure none of this happens.
So here are all the steps:
Step 1: Call a bail bonds agent. That number is (979) 255-6297
If you or your loved one has been arrested, and you do not have the money or the assets to post bail, it’s time to call a bail bond agent. The information you’ll need includes:
The full name of the person arrested.
Which jail they are in.
Their booking or report number.
The charges they are accused of.
Any extra information you can gather regarding this arrest.
Step 2: The paperwork.
The bail bond agent will need you to sign some paperwork in order for you to secure their services. This usually means paying an amount to the agent, usually a percentage of the total bail amount, and signing off on any collateral for the bond.