Bail bonds help people who can’t afford to pay the total sum of their bail amounts get out of jail. They charge a small fee, usually 10% of the total bond amount. Those who pay the fee are also required to pledge collateral. If the individual skips court or violates other bond conditions, they will forfeit the money and any assets they committed as collateral.
It’s Teamwork
In theory, bail bonds York County, PA, offer the court some guarantee that a defendant will show up for their case. If a defendant does not, the bonding agency can take possession of any assets pledged as collateral or hire bounty hunters to track down the individual. Bail can be prohibitive for people who don’t have much money, and remaining in jail until their trial can mean lost wages, missed rent, and other expenses. The bail bondsman works with you to create a payment arrangement for your situation. If it weren’t for the role of bail bondsman, poor and middle-class defendants would likely remain in jail until their trials, while the rich go free-innocent or not. Bail bond companies are working to make the justice system more equitable and fairer for all. They’re doing it with teamwork, and you can benefit from their expertise.
It’s Affordable
A person who faces an arrest for a crime often has to wait months while their case goes through the court system. This wealth-based detention is often financially demanding for those who cannot afford to post bail. When courts set bail amounts, they must consider whether it poses an undue hardship on the defendant and their family. This is essential in reducing the number of people detained for failure to pay. Those who hire a bail bond agent can avoid paying the total amount of the bail amount, allowing them to spend time with their families. They do have to sign a contract. However, that imposes strict rules and may require collateral such as a house or car. Missing a court date can lead to a warrant for arrest and the forfeiture of the collateral. This can be costly to the families who signed up to help their loved ones escape jail.
It’s Fast
Bail bonds allow people who may have committed a crime but do not have the money to pay their bail amount to get out of jail quickly. In this way, they prevent the poor and middle class from being forced to stay in jail while they await trial for crimes they may not have committed. The first step in the bail bond process involves meeting with a bond dealer or agent. This person works just like a loan officer at a bank: the accused pays him a small percentage of the total bail amount, and the bondsman gives them the rest. The defendant will often pledge an asset—like a home or a car—to the bondsman as security for the bond. If the accused skips his court dates, he must forfeit his collateral and return to jail. The bondsman then hires a bounty hunter to track the accused and return him to custody.
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It’s Easy
The court has a set amount of money it asks defendants to pay in exchange for freedom while their case is being tried. If a defendant cannot pay this money, they will remain in jail until their trial dates. Bail bonds can help the accused break out of jail quickly by bridging this financial gap. The accused must sign a contract with an authorized company that acts like a lender and charges a fee for their services. They may also need to deposit some collateral, such as property, to get the bond. The accused can return home if they make all their required court dates. However, if they miss any of these court dates, the bonding company will keep their collateral, and the accused will still have to pay the entire bail amount originally paid to the court.
