In this blog, we will highlight the steps to posting your own bond if you were to ever get arrested at a time when you are by yourself, or if you have to turn yourself into authorities for a warrant.
Making the First Call from Jail
Once you have an opportunity to use the phones, call a bail bondsman. The jail staff will have the necessary information and phone numbers to many local bail agencies, and will be happy to provide you with this information on the grounds that you remain cooperative. If you do not want to use a bail bondsman, you can choose the pay the full bond amount directly to the courts for a release from jail. You would then receive this money back in-full upon completion of all court orders. Unfortunately, many people cannot afford this option because bond amounts are generally very high, in the $5,000 and up range. This is expensive and can take years to get back, which is why a bail bondsman is recommended.
Bail Bond Services
Once you have contacted a bail bond company, be sure to be completely honest with the bail bondsmen. You will be asked to give all your information over the phone to the agent, including: name, age, arrest charges, criminal history, employment and salary, emergency contact people, phone numbers, email, and more. Once they have collected this information from you, you will need to discuss payment.
Most bail bond companies will accept cash in the form of cashiers’ checks, debit cards, and of course, actual cash. In the case that you have to bail yourself out of jail, a debit card bank account is going to be very helpful and could make or break your chances of getting out of jail. This is because the bail agent will not grant you his services without being paid first. You can either use your account to buy a cashiers’ check, or you can simply use your account number like a debit card. Cash is also very helpful. If you happen to have enough cash on you and would like to pay with it, a bail bondsman will allow that transaction once they pick you up from jail.
Getting Out
Once you have established payment arrangement with a bail bondsman, the bail procedures can begin. From here, it is only a matter of time before you are released from jail. The time depends on your sobriety, your behavior, the traffic of the jail, and the efficiency of the jail staff.
After you are released from jail, unless the bail bondsman picks you up, you are escorted back to the bail agency, which is usually just minutes form the jail, to finish signing paperwork, agreements, and contracts. Sometimes, the bail agency will take payment at this time rather than over the phone. It all depends on the company.