If you or a family member is accused of a crime and arrested, it is to your advantage that you are aware of the different bail bonds available. This is because bail bonds will have to be paid in order for you or your loved one to be released from jail and for the court to make certain that all court appearances will be made. Unfortunately, the court will have to decide if a person can be released on bail based on the type of crime committed and if the accused is deemed dangerous to the community.
What are Bail Bonds?
Bail bonds provide people who are arrested an opportunity to leave jail and prepare for the court trial ahead. It is a payment made to the court in order to ensure that the accused person will always make their court appearances. There are different types of bail bonds and each bond is designed to meet the severity and circumstances of the crime charged. There are times when the bail will be set at an amount that is too high for the accused person to pay alone and this is why bail bonds are very useful as the accused will only have to pay about 10%, while the bail bond company will pay the rest. When all court appearances are made, the bail paid will be returned in full, so the bail bond company gets their money back including the 10% as their profit.
The Bail Bonds Available
There are 4 different bail bonds available and they are based on the crime charged against you or your loved one. In the event that you or your loved one is unable to make it to all court appearances, then the bail bondsman will charge you and/or your family for the amount they had provided for the bail.
Cash Bond: A bail bonds company is not needed for this type of bond as you can easily put up the cash for bail alone, most especially if the amount is not too high. The complete amount is returned if all court proceedings are attended to.
Federal Bail Bond: This type of bail bond is expensive and based on various factors affecting the Federal crime committed. Considering that this bond is for federal crimes, a bail bonds company will come handy.
Property Bail Bond: If you are unable to produce cash for bail, you can put up the property that you own as collateral. However, you must make sure that you completely own the property and that the property value is much higher that the bail bond cost. If you do not attend all proceedings in court, the property will be sold to get the money back.
Immigration Bail Bond: It is quite complicated to get this bail bond and the cost is very expensive. This bail bond is for crimes committed in another country or if you are a national of another country and has committed a crime in the US.
Getting Your Money Back
When the need to use a bail bonds company to pay off your bail arises, you will only have to make a payment of at least 10% while the bonds person pays off the rest. The court will return the entire amount to the bail bonds company including the 10% you had paid if you don't miss out on any court trials. However, the 10% payment will be given to the bail bonds company as their fee and profit for their assistance and efforts. If the bail is fully paid in cash by you, then you can get the money back after all court appearances are made.