When someone is arrested for a crime, the court system will set a date for them to stand trial. Just because someone has been arrested does not mean they are necessarily guilty, and the trial is when the lawyers and judge will assess the matter of guilt vs. innocence. In most cases, the person has the chance to go home between the initial arrest and the trial date as long as they can pay bail, which is a fee for their release. Most legal systems use cash bail, but more and more are offering alternatives such as surety bail bonds for those who can’t come up with the whole monetary amount. In this article, our team at Alpha Bonding will explain how a surety bail bond works so you know what to expect.
To put it as simply as possible, a surety bail bond is an agreement between the arrested person, the court, and the bail bonds company. The arrested person and their loved ones offer a form of collateral, such as a car, home, or other assets, to the bail bond company to cover the bail fees instead of cash. The company then pays the full bail to the court and guarantees the defendant will appear in court on the trial date.
If you lack the necessary cash to pay the full bail price, you can use a surety bail bond as another way to get yourself or your loved one out of jail. You will still have to pay a fee to the bail bond agency, but as long as you show up to court when expected, that’s all you will need to pay.