3 Things You Should Know About Posting Bail After Your Arraignment
Posted on: 25 March 2020
If you have been arrested for a crime, you will face an arraignment and be charged. After pleading not guilty, the judge will set your bail. It is at this point where most people get confused. Unless a judge allows you to be released on your own recognizance, a bail amount will be set by the judge. The following are a few things you should know about this bail amount.
Sometimes bail can be cash only
Most bail is cash or bond, but sometimes you must post the bail in cash. If you have the total amount of the bail, you can pay it in cash. They will release you, and when the legal proceedings are finished, you will get your money back. The purpose of the bail amount is to make sure you show up to all of your court appointments. If you don't, your bail is revoked, and you will forfeit the bail money.
A bail bondsman can be used for bail
If you have the option of posting a bond, you simply need the services of a bondsman. This is usually your best option if the bail exceeds your cash on hand. Basically, you pay the bond company 10% of the bail amount. The bondsman then posts the full amount of the bond with the court. After the court proceedings are finished, the bonds company will get their money back. However, the amount that you pay is the fee for the bail bonds company and is not refunded.
A bail bondsman will want collateral
Although this is not always true with smaller bonds, most of the time you will be required to offer collateral for the bond. This is needed because you don't show up for court, the bonds company loses their money. In this case, they can sell the collateral you gave them. For many bonds, you will only need personal items. Examples of these are jewelry, guns, musical instruments, or generally, anything that you could take to a pawn store for cash. Also, if you own the title to your car, you can use it as collateral.
If you have the money, you can pay for your own bail. But keep in mind, if you post your own cash bail, you will not have access to this money for a long period of time, as your case corks its way through the legal system. If you use a bail bonds company, you can obtain your freedom quickly, and it will only cost you 10% of the bail amount. You will need some collateral, but a bail bonds company is usually flexible. And it is also important to remember that due to the nature of this business, most bail bonds companies offer their services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To learn more, talk to a bail bonds company.
Share