The Bail Bond Process

Many people who are arrested lack the cash to pay for bail out of their own pocket.  Bail bondsmen provide the service of lending a person bail money for a small fee. The bail bond company then pays the full bail amount to the court, allowing the defendant to be released until trial. When the defendant appears for their court date, the court returns the full amount of the bond to the bondsman.

A judge sets bail according to the severity of the crime and the amount of risk that the defendant will flee prosecution if set free. Bail bonds provide a service to the law enforcement system by reducing jail populations. Bail bonds provide a service to defendants who can’t come up with the full amount of bail, allowing them the ability to manage their lives and legal affairs outside of jail and be productive members of the community while they await trial.

The terms bail bond company, bail bonds agent, and bail bondsman can be interchangeably used, but technically, a bail bonds agent is a licensed individual who has passed a rigorous examination and becomes licensed to provide financial resources to a defendant awaiting trial. They are also authorized to pursue and arrest defendants who fail to appear for their trials, and to return them to law enforcement custody.

No, a bail bond agent is not a police officer but they can arrest you.  A bondsman plays a unique role in the American legal system.  When pursuing a bail jumper, they mostly use traditional law enforcement methods, but they’re actually allowed more latitude than police in certain situations.

Yes, a bail bond companies is authorized to make arrests and return suspects to justice. Sometimes it may be the bondsman himself, and sometimes it may be a bounty hunter hired by the bondsman. Both are legally authorized to apprehend and arrest defendants for whom the bond company has paid bail.

Bail bond companies technically work for the defendant.  They’re independent contractors who work closely with law enforcement and court authorities to provide a service to defendants who can’t post their own bail. A good bondsman is passionate about doing everything he can to help the defendants he serves. But if the defendant fails to make a court appearance, the bondsman begins working for himself, pursuing the defendant to recover the bond money.

Sorry but no the bail bond percent fee you pay a bond agent is not refundable, even after you appear in court. Once you’ve appeared in court bail bondsmen get their entire amount of posted bond back from the court and they keep the percent fee from the defendant. That’s how they make a living.  If, on the other hand, you post all of your own bail and then show up for your court appearance, the full bail amount is refunded, whether you’re found guilty or innocent.

Arrests are public record. The arrest record may also list the name of the bond company that paid your bail. But any information given to the bond agent is confidential, and like attorneys, bondsmen adhere to a strict code of client confidentiality. The only way this information could be made public is if a bondsman was subpoenaed for information from the legal system.

Yes absolutely!  Life happens at all hours, but even more so on the weekends.   Diane’s 24/7 Bail Bonds provides 24/7 service. Being arrested and imprisoned is frightening, and we’re here to help people through the process and get them out as quick as possible.

Maybe.  It depends on your charges.  Some offenses have a standard bail amount which a bondsman can usually pay and get you out over the weekend. More serious offenses might require the defendant to face a judge before bail is set, and judges don’t hold hearings on weekends.  We always try our best to get you bailed out of jail as quick as possible!

There are really two important responsibilities that a co-signer has. First, they are guaranteeing that the defendant will appear in all court hearings. Secondly, they are guaranteeing that they can pay the face amount of the bail bond if the defendant does not appear in court.

The person who has been arrested must be responsible to appear in all required court hearings.  They are also responsible to check-in with a bail bondsmen while out on bail.  In addition, some people may also be accountable for paying fees that are due for a bail bond.

Each bonding office will have their own standards but for the most part you can expect them to accept various forms of bail collateral. Some example of collateral include:  Real estate, Cars, Credit cards, Stocks, Bonds, Jewelry.

If a defendant is arrested again the bond can be surrendered and your liability will be terminated.  If you decided to surrender the bond you will lose the premium that was paid.  If you decided to get the defendant out on bond again, you will now have two bonds and will need to pay the premium on both bonds.