Bail Bonds: Freedom at a Price

Sep 1
17:15

2011

Anna Woodward

Anna Woodward

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In life there are boundaries, rules and requirements, not to mention all of those little laws that can drain the fun out of most everything. If living a life within the confines of those rules and laws proves a challenge, then having a familiarity with how a bail bonds agency works may prove a beneficial piece of information to possess.

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Life happens,Bail Bonds: Freedom at a Price Articles people get arrested and the price of freedom is left to be decided by a judge. In the event an individual is arrested and booked, a call will need to be placed to a friend or family member in order to post bond if they are not released on their own recognizance. Unless the defendant has friends or family with the financial means to post bail, a call to a bail bonds agency will be necessary. When the call is made to request bail be posted some information will need to be provided to the agent:
-Which city and state did the arrest occur in, and which jail are they being held at?
-The defendant’s name and booking number: if the booking number is not known, the agent can obtain it when they call the jail.
-The amount of the bond and any requirements in addition to the bail to obtain release: again, if this information is unknown at the time of the call, the agent will obtain the answers from the jail.
The fee of the bail is usually 10-15% of the bond amount. Bail bonds require a form of collateral be put up that has an equal value to the amount of the bond. This is a form of insurance for the bonds agency that the defendant will not “jump bail” / skip their court appearance. In the event they do so, the collateral will be sold to recoup the financial loss incurred by the agency, and the person who put up the collateral is the one who absorbs the financial loss. Acceptable forms of collateral are:
-Real estate and automobiles
-Credit cards
-Stocks and bonds
-Jewelry, personal credit and bank accounts
When a defendant is released on bail, written permission to leave the state where the bond has been posted must be given by both the court and the bail bonds agent. In the event the individual should cross a state line without permission they can be immediately re-arrested. In this case, the court would demand 2 new bonds be posted and a premium paid on both bail bonds to be released a second time.
Not all cities and states allow private bail bonds to be issued: Massachusetts, Maine, Oregon, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. do not allow private bonds. If an arrest occurs in one of these locations, either the full bail amount must be paid, a 3 (or more) person signature bond can be issued or the prisoner must remain in custody until their trial date.
Posting bail for a friend or family member should never be done until all aspects of the commitment required to do so are fully and completely understood.