subject: What Service Can A Bail Bond Agent Provide? [print this page] Suspects of minor crimes are typically released after a citation is read to them. the citation states the date of their court hearing. However, suspect of more serious crimes usually stay in jail where they are booked. These defendants are then subjected to bail after booking. the bail amount is then decided by a judge upon the defendant's first hearing. The bail amount is based on several factors which may include the severity of the crime and the danger that the suspect pose.
Bail is an agreement between the suspect and the court wherein it guarantees the appearance of the suspect to all of his or her court dates. The bail amount is deposited by the bail bond agent, family, friend, relative, or attorney of the suspect. Posting bail will lead to the temporary release of the defendant from the custody of the police. However, it also serves as a surety that the suspect will make all of his or her required court appearance. The bail amount can amount to thousands of dollars depending on the severity of the crime and the dangers that the release of the suspect can pose to the community. For this reason, there are times when the bail amount is to costly for an average person. This is when the suspect can seek the services of a bail bond agent from a reputable bail bond agency.
Typically, a friend, relative, or family member of the suspect will arrange the bail with the bail bond agency which makes them the co-signer. They will have to pay the 10% of the bail amount and the bail bond company will take care of the rest. Some bail bond agencies will even require a form of collateral in case the suspect fails to show up at his or her court dates. The bail bond agency is the one responsible if the suspect fails to make an appearance in court thus they will have to pay for the full bail amount. However, if the suspect does show up, the bail amount will be refunded which the bail bond agency can keep but return the collateral to the suspect.
Before the bail bond agent posts the bail, he or she will first conduct an initial consultation with the suspect. The initial consultation will include the basic information and details regarding the defendant and assessing the risks involved in undertaking a bail bond. If everything goes according to plan, the bail process will be finished within 1 to 2 hours.
