The process of bailing someone out of jail is a short one; but it can also be an easy one if you are familiar with all the steps that are involved. In most cases, a person uses a bail agency to obtain a bail bond in order to get a loved one or co-worker out of jail. This is the circumstance in which these steps apply. Continue reading to learn the process of using a bail bond to get you or a friend out of jail.
Discovering an Arrest
The first step to bailing a friend or loved one from jail is receiving the phone call that they have been arrested. Whether it is a friend or officer that is informing you of this news, be sure to get as much information as you can from them. This includes the county or district they were arrested in, the charges against them, reason for arrest, and anything else relevant to the arrest.
If you cannot get all this information, you will have to find out which jail they are in on your own. You begin by calling the jail that is closest to the site of the arrest. If you do not know the site of the arrest, you will need to call all the jails within the surrounding counties in your state. In most cases people are arrested closer to home. Once you figure out which jail they are in, you can move onto the next step, which is figuring out a bail preference.
Bail Options
Deciding on bail options is simple. All you have to do is play the elimination game. If you have cash that you are willing to put up for their release, and you trust that the person will show up for their court hearings, then you can pay for their bond, in full, with cash. If this is not an option, then cross it off your list and move onto the next. A person can put up their property, home, company, cars, and any other asset that equals the amount of their bond. You risk losing this property if the arrestee fails to appear for their legal hearings. If this is not an option, then cross it off and move onto the most common method to obtaining a loved one’s release from jail, a bail bond agent.
Using a Bail Bond
A bail bondsman will charge you only a percentage of the defendant’s bond amount, making it much more affordable for people to be bailed from jail. The state regulated percentages are anywhere between 10 and 15 percent of the total bond amount. If a bond was $5000, rather than paying that price in full, a person has the option to pay a bail bond agency anywhere from $500 to $750 and get their loved one or friend released from jail. The only negative to using a bail bond agent is the fact that the fee you pay is non-refundable.
If you were to choose the above options, all paid money would be returned to you after the arrestee has finished all their legal obligations. It is just uncommon for people to have that kind of cash on hand and not tied up. Although the money is not refundable, bail bondsmen are the quickest and least stressful way to obtain bail for a person in jail. Once you have decided on a bail bondsman, you can begin the actual bail process. Find a bail agent that is near the jail and meets all your needs.
For example, if it is in the middle of the night, you will need a bail bond company that is open 24 hours. Look for these qualities when searching for a bail bond agency. Once you choose a bail bondsman to hire, you will find yourself in the next step of the process, the bail.
Bail Bond Process
The bail bondsman will require you to fill out a series of paperwork and ask you to sign all the necessary documents and contracts required by their company to pursue the bail. By signing these documents and contracts, you are legally obligating your own money to the jail and the company if the person does not obey their court hearings. Although you are only paying $500 to get them released from jail, you will have to pay the remaining $4500 if they fail to appear for court or jeopardize their own legal obligations. It is important to bail someone you love and trust from jail because it can be a risk. Once the paperwork and contracts are signed, the bail bond agent will collect the bail money; usually in the form of a check or money order, but most accepts credit cards.
After all this is done, you will have to wait, depending on the charges, for the jail to come through and process the arrestee through the system. The speed at which they are processed depends on the traffic coming though the jail and the efficiency of the jail workers. If your friend or loved one was arrested on an intoxication charge, most states require them to “sober up” for at least eight hours before beginning the processing. Once they are processed, they are eligible for release.
When your friend or loved one has finally been released from the jail, you can pick them up at the designated pickup area in the jail. In some cases, the bail bond agent will be required to pick them up and bring them back to the bail bond office. Once there, they will be required to sign a few documents acknowledging the bail and committing to the information that had been provided for them. After that, you are free to go home where you will wait for a letter from the courts in the mail. This letter has further instructions and hearing information for the arrested.