What You Have a Right to Expect from a Bail Bond Agent
If you are among the lucky ones you may never have any use for a bail bond agent, after all if you watch the movies from Hollywood, only the lowest dregs of society ever need one of these characters. Or at least that is what we have been led to believe. The reality is far less dramatic as the numbers of the people who find themselves in need of assistance from a bail bond agent include people from all walks of life and at every income level.
Then again there are bail bond agents and there are expert bail bond agents. If you go into any large town or city, you are likely to find dozens of agencies that will be more than willing to post bail for you. This is the job of bail bondsmen and they can be a lifesaver for you or someone you know who ends up in jail.
Unless you have personally used a bail bond agency, you may not understand exactly how they work or what they can do for you. At the same time, you may also not know who you can trust to treat you fairly and honestly. So before you call the first number in your phone book or the cheapest offer you see online, you need to know where you should be looking and what you should be looking for in a bail bondsman.
Here is a quick overview….if you or someone you know has been arrested and incarcerated, the judge will establish the criteria for bail. In some states/counties there are predetermined ranges for bail amounts, called a bail schedule. This can be used by a judge in determining the bail amount. Also used is information around the nature and gravity of your crime, your prior criminal record and other measures of character and local connections to determine if and how much the bail should be set at.
Once the judge sets the bail, it is the skill and experience of the bail bond agency that will ultimately release you from jail. This is an important factor and one that you must consider very carefully when you set out to hire a representative. That is why you can’t just trust the cheapest guy on the street…because like most things in life, you get what you pay for and with bail bonds, this is no exception. You want someone who is professional, experienced, caring and willing to help you through the entire process. In other words you want an expert.
Once the bond has been posted, typically involving a premium payment of 10%-15% to the bail agent as well as an additional financial security (i.e., collateral of someking) based on the size of the bond, you are released. It is now your responsibility to show up for all your court dates, and the bail agent’s promise to the court to make sure you do. If you fail to show up you are considered a fugitive from the law and a warrant will be issued for your arrest. If arrested, you will be returned to jail and in most cases not be able to post another bail. You will remain in jail until you can appear before the judge to answer not only for your crimes, but also for skipping out on your bail. Additionally, the bail agent has the right to bring you back to court. Once they find you, they will surrender the bond to the court and remand you back into custody.
By getting defendants to show up for court, bail bond agents are playing a key role in protecting communities from additional crimes being committed. Additionally, when a defendant does appear in court, the crime victim is essentially getting their day in court.
So it is important to remember that not all bail bonds agents are created equal and at ExpertBail we believe that everyone deserves to be treated like a human being. Our agents are not the type of agent you are used to seeing in the movies. They are high quality agents that have set out to change the way the public sees this profession. When you need a bail bondsman, contact us and let us be there when you need us.
Processing your request, Please wait....
