Upon arrest a suspect is often taken to a County Jail to await trial, especially when charges are made under state law. This is where they can be processed and booked in order for them to post bail. The suspect will be able to secure his release by posting the amount of bail required, as failure to do so means that he or she might stay behind bars for some more days until the case is heard in the state court of the county the offense took place in. Where it is obvious that the defendant poses safety threats to the community and/or when the defendant faces life imprisonment upon conviction, he or she may be “held without bail”. Similarly, wealthy or international defendants with international ties deemed a high ‘flight risk’ may be held without bail. Below is how to post bail if arrested on criminal charges.
A bail bond could grant some freedom to the defendant to be able to attend court proceedings while out of detention facilities. For more information on bail bonds go to https://bobblockbailbonds.com/. Some people may not have the bail amount required by the court. This is where a bondsman is contacted for help. The first step in posting bail after an arrest is to determine the said bail amount that is supposed to be paid. Bail set by the court must be paid through cash, money order, cashier’s check, equity bond of real property to the court clerk, or any other means specified by the court.
Once posted, a release order will be issued by the court to the Sheriff holding the defendant in custody. A bail bondsman who is a “commercial bail bond agent” offering bail bond services may be required if a defendant cannot afford to post the required bail on his or her own. A non-refundable fee of about 10-20 percent of the bail amount is often charged by the bail bond agent.
You should choose 2-3 bail bonding companies of interest to compare their services and charges. You may also have to do a background check on each to find out more information. You can do this by finding out about their dealings with past clients to determine how effective they are at delivering their services. This will help you to determine the best bail bondsman to work with.
Ask your attorney to refer you to a bail bondsman. Attorneys have dealt with many cases and they know the best bonding agent that offers great services. This is a professional referral, thereby saving you time and money in trying to find out a company with better services. You must also understand your specific bail terms and conditions to avoid any penalties. A criminal defense attorney will not only be able to help with posting bail but will also ask for your bail reduction ahead of time.
Once you sign the contract with your bail bond company and they post bail to secure your release, you must also be aware of the penalty for failing to appear in court as required, which includes imprisonment, a fine or even both. You should also find out if there are any hidden fees before committing yourself. Regardless, it is important to understand the process of posting bail if arrested as it could save you a lot of time and money.