When someone is arrested on suspicion of a crime, that person will be taken by law enforcement agents to jail for booking. During this process, the person will have a mug shot taken, he or she will be fingerprinted, and then asked for a statement. While awaiting his or her day in court, the individual will be held in jail unless he or she is released on bail.
When a bail bondsman, working with a bail bonding agency, puts up a fee for the release of a suspect on bail, the bondsman charges a fee usually equal to 10% of the bail amount. This initial fee is not refundable -- even if the case is thrown out after the suspect posts bail.
The bail bondsman will take out a security against a defendant's assets in order to cover the cost of the bail. If the defendant does not have enough assets, then the bondsman might take out securities against people that are willing to assist the defendant, such as relatives and friends. When a security is taken out, a bondsman often requires a 10% cash payment in addition to collateral that will equal the full amount of the owed bail bond money. Usually this collateral is a loan against a person’s home.
In the event that a defendant does not arrive in court on trial day, the bondsman cannot only hire a bounty hunter to track the defendant down, but the bondsman then has the right to sue the defendant for money that was given to the court for the defendant's bail bond. The bail bond agency may also recover any unpaid money by claiming assets that were owned by the defendant or those individuals that signed a contract to financially assist the defendant.
Bail is a financial arrangement that a bail bonding agency will make on behalf of the criminal defendant. A bail bonding agency, acting for the defendant, will arrange with the court to have a suspect released from jail pending the trial in exchange for money or collateral which may be cash, assets, or a bond. The court sets the monetary value of the bail.
The bail agency is then responsible for ensuring that the individual arrives in court on the day of his or her trial. If the individual does not turn up in court, then the bail agency may hire a bounty hunter to track the individual down. It should be noted that the U.S. is one of the only countries in the world that still allows bounty hunting.
A bond is a surety that the full bail amount will be paid, but some courts will accept either the full bond or a 10% cash down payment for the release of a suspect.
Depending upon the holding facility and how quickly they process the paperwork, Gary’s Bail Bonds can have you out of jail in as little as 30 minutes.
1. The name of the person being held
2. Where they are being held.
3. The accused’s date of birth.