When you’re in a stressful situation, it’s important to have clear, accurate information on what to do next. For example, if you or a loved one has been arrested and booked into jail, you need to know how to get released. Our team here at Alpha Bonding wants to help you through this crisis, and all you need to do in order to get bailed out is call us. With that said, there are still some things that bonding companies like ours want you to know about the bond process.
How Bail Works
After someone is booked into jail, a date will be set for their trial or court appearance, and an amount will be set for their bail. If the defendant can pay bail, they are released from jail, while if they can’t pay, they will have to remain there until after the trial. Essentially, bail acts as a kind of collateral to ensure that the defendant shows up for their court date–the court holds the bail money until after the court proceedings are concluded, at which point the defendant will get that money back.
How Bail Bonds Work
If you can’t afford to pay bail yourself, you may still be able to get out of jail by applying for a bail bond with one of the many bonding companies. A licensed bail bonding company will pay a portion of the bail, which is enough to get the person released, on the condition that the company takes responsibility for making sure that the defendant shows up in court. If someone does try to skip town, the bonding company will send bounty hunters after them to bring them back.
Why Bail Might Be Denied
In general, anyone who has been charged with a non-capital crime is entitled to bail, although the specific rules vary from state to state. However, there are some circumstances in which the court might deny bail, such as if the defendant is charged with a violent crime and is deemed a flight risk or a danger to the public. In other cases, bail may be set higher than the standard for that crime as a way of ensuring that the defendant returns for all court appearances.
If you would like to learn more about bail or bail bonding companies and how they work, please contact us today.