What You Need To Know About Getting Out Of Jail After Being Charged With A Crime
When you are arrested and charged with a crime, you may want to immediately call a bail bond service to get you out of jail, but some things need to happen first. Getting bonded out of jail is a process, and you will need to work through that process one step at a time.
The Waiting Game
If you are arrested for a crime, you will be processed into the local jail and held until you can see a judge for an arraignment hearing. You will most likely not be able to hire a bail bond service at this point unless you are arrested on a crime that has a set bail. In some areas, public intoxication, fighting, and those kinds of offenses have bail amounts already set, and you can be given a court date then bailed out in a few hours.
Crimes like DUI, theft, assault, and other more serious crimes will require you to see the judge, so you will have to wait until the following day to go to court. If you are arrested on a weekend, you could have to wait until Monday morning to get a hearing, but the bail bond service will still not be able to help you until after that initial hearing.
Paying Bail
Once the court has set your bail amount, you will need to meet with the bail bond service and discuss the options for bail and release. Many times the bond will need to be secured with ten percent of the face value paid to the bail bonds company upfront.
The payment can come from a friend or family member if needed, but depending on the charges you are facing, the bond company may not be willing to take a chance on your bond without the security upfront. If you skip bail or fail to appear in court, the bail bond service is out the money they put up, so the ten percent security is designed to encourage you to go to court.
In some situations, the bail bond company may accept a house or car that does not have a lien on it as collateral, but you will have to discuss that with the bonds-person you are working with.
Free On Bail
Once you leave the jail after being bailed out, you may think you are free to come and go as you please, but it is essential to remember that the bail bond service is now responsible for ensuring you will appear in court. They will have some rules for you to follow, so your freedom may be limited.
The important thing is to continue communicating with the bonds-person about where you are and what you are doing until your court date. Check in as required, and you will be able to live a somewhat normal life until you have to go to court.
For more information, contact a local bail bond service.