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Family Member In Jail? How Bail Bonds Work

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The initial holding cell that your family member has been placed in, after being arrested, is more pleasant than the facility that your family member will eventually be sent to. If you would like your family member to not experience this, you will need to bail him or her out of jail.

Find Collateral

When you get a bail bondsman, you must put up collateral that will be used to pay for the bond in the event that your family member fails to show up for court. As a result, you will want to make sure that your family member understands what will happen, whether you will lose your house or car, and how important it is to show up for the court date.

Learn About the Size of the Bond

Bonds are large because courts want to create an incentive for the accused to return to court. The size of the bail is based on the gravity of the crime, whether the accused has a criminal record and how much of a flight risk the accused is believed to be. Setting the right bail is essential because the Constitution forbids excessive bail and fines.

For this reason, courts have come up with a series of rules regarding bail. However, if you get a bail bondsman, you will only have to pay for 10% of the bond as a fee and the bondsman will pay for the rest.

Make Sure Your Loved One Shows Up

If your loved one fails to show up in court, the court will send the bail bondsman a letter telling him or her that the bond is now in default. Then, what happens next is up to the courts. Sometimes, the courts will choose to be lenient and offer a grace period.

In these cases, the accused will have an opportunity to show up in court. If so, the bail bondsman may still receive the amount that he or she put up to get your family member out of jail. Then, you are off the hook. You will still need to fill out some paperwork.

After the grace period has passed, a warrant will be issued for the arrest of the accused. If the accused is captured and brought to court there is a chance that the bail bondsman will get the bond back. However, if the accused cannot be returned, the bond will be completely forfeited and you may then lose the collateral you put up for the loan.

If you want more help or have other questions about bail bonds, contact a company like Quick Bail Bonds by Mario Vallejos to learn more.


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