How Bail Bonds Work And What You Need To Know
When someone is arrested for a crime that they are accused of committing, they will find themselves in jail waiting to go before a judge for bail to be set. In rare cases, the bail is waived. This is usually because it is someone's first offense, they have a job and family to return to, and the crime is not a very serious one. For example, there is a big difference between petty theft and arson. No one can be released until the bail is paid, which leads many people to turn to a bail bonds agency. To help you have a better understanding of how that works, you will want to review the upcoming information:
Collateral May Be Needed From Family
In many cases, the bail bondsman will accept collateral from the accused. There are times in which the bail bondsman might worry that someone is at high risk for failing to appear in court, so they seek collateral from the family of the accused. This is because the accused might be less likely to go on the run because it is not just their own lives they would be affecting. If they don't want their family to go broke or lose their car, they will stay and appear at all of their court hearings.
Different Types Of Collateral May Be Accepted
There are a few types of collateral almost every bail bondsman will accept. The standard types of collateral include vehicles, homes, and high-valued jewelry. You will need to speak with the bail bondsman that you plan on using in order to find out all of the types of collateral they are willing to accept. Since the bail bondsman is self-employed, they are able to make their own rules regarding what they will take and what they won't. For example, one bail bondsman might accept your 500 piece vintage Star Wars collection that is in all original packaging, but the bail bondsman down the road wouldn't want anything to do with it.
There Will Be Fees At The End
Should the accused appear at all of their hearings and fulfills their sentence, the bond will be returned. However, you are going to be short some money because the bondsman takes their fee out of that. You will need to ask the bondsman what they usually charge for their services.
The best thing to do is to set up an appointment with a local bail bondsman so the process can get started.