subject: Understanding The Functions And Benefits Of Bail Bonds [print this page] Criminal investigation is an important process that can bring to justice the people who have done terrible acts of crime. For this reason, there are times when the police will need to bring in some people who are suspected of committing a crime. Although these people are presumed innocent until they are proven guilty, they will still need to spend a certain amount of time in jail while awaiting their trial. For this reason, the bail bond system becomes beneficial.
When an individual is arrested on probable cause of committing a crime, he or she will be booked and arraigned. During this time, a judge will determine if the person arrested must be granted bail and how much the amount of bail will be. The bail amount can be several hundreds of dollars for a misdemeanour crime but it can also go up to thousands of dollars depending on several factors. A bail bond is very beneficial for many suspects since it allows them to be temporarily released from jail under the oath that they will show up in all of his court trials. A bail bond provides a means for the suspect to pay a bond to the court and be temporarily released from custody. A bail bond can also be easily issued and it can be done an hour after the arrest. If the suspect cannot afford to pay the bail amount, he or she can look for a bail bonds company who will pay the bail amount on their behalf.
The bail bonds company has bail bonds agents who will arrange to post the suspect's bail. When the bail bonds company posts bail for a suspect, they correspondingly assures the court that the suspect will show up. The agent may charge the suspect or his/her family a premium which is about 10% of the total bail amount. They may also collect some kind of collateral assuming the risk of the suspect's not appearing in court. If the suspect fails to appear in court, the court will declare the bond void thus the bail bonds company cannot get back the bail amount they paid. However, if the suspect does appear in all of his or her court trial, the court will give back the full bail amount and the bail bonds company will keep all of it including the 10% premium given by the suspect.
It is vital for every citizen to understand what bail bonds are, and how the process works. This will help the suspect gain temporary release while awaiting their judgement.
