Criminal Bail Bonds

October 21, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Damian Sofsian

Criminal bail bonds are necessary for people who have been accused of a crime to get out of jail while awaiting court dates and/or trials. Once people are charged with crimes, they are entitled to apply for bail while the court case is being processed. There are companies that specifically deal in the processing and approval of bail bonds.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI) is considered a crime. Driving while intoxicated (DWI) is similar to a DUI, and is also a crime. When arrested for DUI or DWI, it is often very serious. The court proceedings often take months, sometimes even a year or more, so it is common for people involved in these cases to seek and post bail, so as not to spend the time waiting for the court dates in jail, but rather at home.

Criminal bail bond agencies help the accused make bail, which can be very high at times, and friends/family may not have the money for it on hand. Bail bond agencies normally collect particular percentage of the total bail amount (as dictated by law) and assure the court that the defendants will appear to all hearings as and when required.

Bail bond agencies collect 10% of the bail amount as a premium. To have a friend/relative freed from jail, this amount has to be paid instantly. Once the payment is received, the procedures for getting that person released from the jail are arranged.

Criminal bail bonds may sound simple, but in general, they are not. These proceedings take a long time and one has to be very patient. Especially in metropolitan cities, the number of crimes is increasing and so the criminal bail bond businesses aren?t lacking in customers. [http://www.bailbonds-web.com]Bail Bonds provides detailed information on Bail Bond Agents, Bail Bond Companies , Bail Bond License, Bail Bond Schools and more. Bail Bonds is affiliated with [http://www.i-lawenforcement.com]Law Enforcement Training.

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Bail Bonds – Just Like Real Cash

October 14, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Michael Russell

Life can be special, especially if you’re living the life you dreamed of.  Everyone wants to have a long and fulfilling life.  Everyday you would like to experience something new.  Something that makes today better then yesterday and tomorrow better then today, but, life isn’t perfect and you shouldn’t expect it to be.  You grew up in this world, by the time you reach adulthood, you should know that there will be bad days.  Hopefully you have enough maturity and it helps you overcome the trials and tribulations of life, but for some people, life can become a nightmare.

There are so many things you can do in your life, but you need to be smart.  There are rules you must live by and if you chose to break those rules, then you may have to pay the consequences.  The biggest consequence you could pay, is to be arrested.  If your actions aren’t considered major, then you’ll probably get to go home, but if you committed, or you’re arrested on the suspicion of committing a serious crime, then you’re going to jail.

How long will you stay in jail?  Well, that depends on what you did.  If your crime was so heinous, then the court may decide to keep you in jail until your trial.  But if the court decides your crime doesn’t require you to stay in jail, the court will give you bail.  What is bail?  Bail is a fee the court charges you, to make sure you will appear in court.  You only have to pay a percentage of the bail amount.  If you appear in court, then your bail money will be returned, but if you don’t, then the money will be forfeited over to the court.

If you have a lot of money, then making bail won’t be a problem, but most people don’t have that amount of money easily available to them.  If you don’t have the money and you can’t find a relative who has, then your best chance of making bail, is with a bond.  The bail bond, just like cash, is issued as a guarantee that you will appear in court.  You can get a bail bond from a bail agent.  The agent will usually charge around 10% of the bond amount.  The bail bond is a contract and you will need someone to co-sign the contract.  The bail bond, just like cash, will be forfeited if you don’t appear in court.  But the major difference is, if you forfeit your bond, the person who co-signed for your bond will still be liable for paying off your bond.

Bail bonds are a good tool within the court system.  It allows people with low incomes, to be able to acquire some of the same rights, as people with high incomes.  But bail bonds are also a business and the fees can get steep, depending on the length of the bond.  Of course, the best thing for people to do, would be to live their lives within the law and never have to worry about whether they can or can’t make bail.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to [http://bailbond-guide.com/]Bail Bonds

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Your Bail Bonds Questions Answered

October 9, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Mike Selvon

Bail bonds may not be something you ever need but should you find yourself in a jam, you are going to have to know something about how they work and how they benefit you. It could mean the difference between sitting in jail waiting on a court date and being able to be with your family or friends.

You probably do not set out with the intention of being arrested and needing the services of a bail bond agent but in this article we will cover the basics of the bail bonds world and hopefully educate you on the basics that you will need to know in case you ever find yourself in a stick situation.

What are bail bonds?

Bail bonds are the fee it takes to get out of jail. The bail bond can be paid by the defendant in full or it can be paid by a special agency that works to get people back on their feet after being arrested. The modern bail bond agency was first started back in the 1800′s by Tom and Peter P. McDonough.

They believed that a person was innocent until proven guilty and should not have to sit in jail waiting to prove their innocence. They should be free to live their lives until the court date.

What is a cash only bond?

A cash bond occurs when the judge will not allow you to be bailed out by a bond agency. This usually occurs if the judge considers you a flight risk but will still allow you out of jail.

There are some smaller bonds that must be paid such as insufficient funds on a checking account. Speeding tickets may be considered a cash bond if you have failed to pay the ticket and have had a warrant issued.

What is a bounty hunter?

A bounty hunter is someone that hunts down people that have skipped out on their bonds. Skipping out on a bond means that the person did not show up for their court date and have gone on the run to avoid being caught and returned to jail. A bounty hunter is usually required to be licensed in the state, or states, he or she practices in and they must know the laws under which they are required to operate.

Is bounty hunting really like those reality television shows?

Any real bounty hunter will tell you that their job is not nearly as exciting as the reality television shows pain it out to be. Many times they go to find the defendant and he or she is sitting at their house with some excuse as to why they did not show up at court.

There are times of excitement when the person goes on the run but those are few and far between. There is usually no “jet setting” lifestyle where they fly to some exotic place to retrieve the defendant.

If I have to post a bond myself, will I get the money back?

Once you have shown up for court on the date specified you will get your bond money back. Do not count on it being there immediately for you to pick up.

The court system has to discharge the bond money. You may not get this until your case is settled because there is still the possibility that you could skip out on your bond.

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Arrested For Public Intoxication – What Next?

September 24, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Joseph Devine

When you are arrested for something such as public intoxication, there are a number of things that you need to do in the process. One of the first things that you should do is understand what all the terms that you will hear actually mean.

Public intoxication is defined when a person has ingested a product whether its drugs or alcohol that is affecting their judgment. This also means that you aren’t able to make rational decisions by yourself which is why the police will arrest you. When they arrest you, they will keep you in jail for at least 6 hours to ensure that the substance that you used is now completely out of your system. The police want to make sure that you are completely sober so that you won’t get hurt when you leave jail. The reason that they arrest you in the first place is because they don’t want you to cause harm to either yourself or others while you are intoxicated.

When they originally arrest you, you will be required to go through what is called a booking process. This is the time when they will take your mug shots and fingerprinting. From this point forward, you will be in the system because you were arrested. After a 6 hour period, they will have bail hearing to determine what your status will be. Depending on what type of past criminal history you have had will determine what your bail amount will be.

Once you have seen a judge and set your bail, you will then have to call someone to help you pull the money together. If you don’t have enough money, you have the option to visit a bail bondsman in order to have them loan you the money. Remember that none of this process can happen until after the 6 hour wait. This is the very minimum that they will make you wait in a jail cell to sober up. There is always a chance that they will force you to wait longer because they feel that you are still not capable of making decisions for yourself.

After you have gotten out of jail, you will be assigned a court date that will be mandatory attendance. You will be required to stay in the city until your court date when they will hear your case. If this was your first PI then you will probably be required to do community service with no jail time requirement.

If you are in need of a jail release or PI criminal defense lawyer, contact Attorneys and Lawyers for You at http://www.attorneysandlawyers4you.com to find a lawyer near you.

Joseph Devine

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How Do Bail Bonds Work?

September 11, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Damian Sofsian

The posting of a bail bond is a contractual undertaking guaranteed by a bail agent and an individual posting bail. This bail agent provides a guarantee to the court that the defendant will appear in court each and every time he or she is summoned by the judge.

A relative or a family friend contacts the bail agent, before the defendant is released, to arrange for the posting of a bail. The bail agent gets a percentage of the amount decided by the judge for that particular defendant. By signing the agreement with the bail agent regarding posting the bail, the defendant or the co-signer, who might be a relative or a family friend, must provide a guarantee that the bail amount will definitely be paid in full if the defendant fails to appear at the summons. After an agreement is signed, the bail agent posts a bond for the amount of the bail, to guarantee the defendant’s return to court.

Some bail agents prefer to have the defendant or the co-signer arrange for a collateral. Even if the collateral is not requested by the agent, the minimum criteria is that the co-signer must have a steady income, and must either own or rent a home in the same area as the defendant for some period of time. If the bail agent or the co-signer is unable to locate the defendant, the cosigner is immediately responsible for the full amount of the bail. After the defendant is located and arrested by the bail agent the cosigner is responsible for all expenses the bail agent incurs while looking for the defendant.

If the defendant cannot raise the entire amount of the bail, then the court might allow a situation in which the defendant pays a percentage of the amount directly to the local jail or court. But this is not a common practice in most courts.

Defendants also have the option of arranging for their bail through a bail bondsman. However, this involves the defendant providing a collateral to the bail bondsman. The bail bondsman or bail bond company representative will then guarantee to pay the court if the defendant fails to appear for trial, by posting a surety bail bond power of attorney with the jail or court. After the defendant has completed all court appearances and the case is closed, the bail bond will be dissolved and any collateral given to the bail bondsman will be returned to the defendant shortly thereafter.

A co-signer always has the responsibility to ensure that the defendant appears in court as and when required. The co-signer must know the whereabouts of the defendant at all times and must immediately notify the bail bondsman if the defendant has moved. Since the co-signer’s collateral is at risk if the defendant fails to show up as summoned, it is advised to be cautious when it comes to keeping an eye on the defendant. [http://www.bailbonds-web.com]Bail Bonds provides detailed information about bail bonds, bail bond companies, bail bond license, and more. Bail Bonds is affiliated with [http://www.i-criminalrecords.com]Free Criminal Records.

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Bail Bonds – How Are They Determined

September 10, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Ivar Rudi

When people who have been accused of committing a crime are arrested and taken to jail, they will go in front of a judge to determine whether or not they are eligible for bail bonds to allow them to be released.  It is an insurance to the court, that defendants will return for their trial.  Many factors help the judge to order what monetary amount he will attach to bail bonds.  The following paragraphs will discuss how the amounts are determined.

One factor the judge considers when ordering the amount is the severity of the crime.  The defendants are accused of committing a violent crime, he may decide not to grant bail, or set the amount of  it very high.  Setting the amount very high helps ensure the court that these defendants will return to court, to stand trial for the charges.  If the crime is non-violent, and the judge feels the defendants are not a threat to themselves or society, they might set the amounts lower.  The severity of the charged crime is an extremely important factor when setting the amounts.

Next, the judge normally considers the defendants’ prior criminal histories when setting bail bonds amounts for charged defendants.  If defendants have no past criminal history, he is more likely to set lower  amounts.  If the defendants indeed have a past criminal history, the bail bonds amounts are likely to be set higher, if he grants bail at all.

Finally, the judge will commonly determine whether or not he thinks the defendants will be a flight risk before setting the amounts.  Being a flight risk means that he has reason to believe the defendants will flee authorities, and fail to appear for scheduled court hearings pertaining to their case.  If he views defendants as a flight risk, he may set very high amounts, to help ensure the defendants will show up in court again.  If the defendants fail to appear in court after meeting requirements, there may be required to forfeit the money they put up for their bail bonds, to get them out of jail.  But on the other hand, if the judge does not view the defendants as a flight risk, he may be more willing to set the amounts lower for the accused.

When a person has not been accused of a violent crime, and they are not viewed as a flight risk, they can be released on their own recognizance.  This simply means they will be released from jail without any bail being required, on just their signature, and promise they will return for trial.

Copyright 2006 – Ivar Rudi, Ivar suggests you find great market for less by shopping online today. For more information and resources check out: http://www.bail-bonds-guide.com/

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All About Bail Bonds

September 9, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Ivar Rudi

When someone is accused of committing a criminal act, they are most commonly arrested and taken to jail. Before they can be released from jail while pending trial, someone must bail them out, or pay a bail bonds agency to step in and take over the process. The following paragraphs will answer some frequently asked questions about the process, thus helping the reader to better understand how it work.

What are Bail Bonds?

It is basically a type of bond used in order to achieve the release of someone who is incarcerated, and has been ordered to give bail in order to be released pending trial. Once it have been posted on behalf of the suspect, the accused is then released from police custody pending the final outcome of the trial. If the person does not return to court for his/her trial, the ordered amount is then forfeited, as well as any other collateral filed with the court as part of the bail bonds.

Who Issues Bail Bonds?

It is most commonly issued by licensed bail bondsmen. These agencies specialize in the field of issuing bail bonds, and seeing that their clients do show up in court when their trial begins, they must be licensed by the state.

How Much Do Bail Bonds Agencies Charge for Their Services?

The average cost of hiring them to get someone out of jail until closure of their criminal case is right around 10 percent of the actual bond cost. This does not include actual expenses agencies, which include any necessary and reasonable expense incurred with the association of the transaction. Agencies do not determine the cost of the bonds. That is up to the court to determine.

What Do Bail Bonds Agencies Do For Their Clients?

They will commonly provide their clients with:

receipts for any monies spent
copies of all signed documentation
information regarding the status of the bond, as well as status on any changes
prompt return of any and all collateral upon exoneration of the bond

If you have been arrested, or if you are ever arrested, the first thing you should do is consult an attorney before making any sort of arrangements. Although sometimes hiring an agency is your only feasible option, your attorney may be able to help you explore possible alternatives.

Bounty Hunters Locate Bail “Jumpers”

When one hires to help obtain successful release from police custody, they are essentially promising they will return to court for trial. If they do not show up for trial, their bond is forfeited, thus causing many companies to enlist the help of bounty hunters, to locate and bring the subjects back for trial, before the actual time of forfeiture. The following paragraphs will discuss the general rights of bounty hunters when their clients skip bail.

Skipping bail is a term commonly used to describe the act of accused individuals failing to make mandatory court appearances. When accused people “skip bail”, the court will issue a bench warrant for their arrest, and schedule a court appearance on the matter. If the accused misses this court appearance, the amount is forfeited. This has inspired many agencies to work in conjunction with bounty hunters to locate the accused that have skipped bail, and bring them back before it have to be forfeited.

Locating and bringing jumpers back to court is often called “tracking a skip”. This process of preventing bail bonds forfeiture is legal, and can often lead to bringing criminals to justice. If the accused is returned to court prior to the forfeiture date, the amount and all collateral may be returned. However, agencies will take their agreed to portion of the amount first.

Bounty hunters, also referred to as bail enforcers, are often permitted by law to locate, apprehend, and return people accused of a crime to court. In some states, the bondsman must be present for the apprehension, and sometimes they are the one required to make the arrest. In these type of arrests, there is usually no legal requirements to obtain search warrants or extradition documents. However, the bounty hunter must always be certain he has the right person. If not, both the bondsman and the bounty hunter can be held liable for false arrest charges.

State laws vary on the obligations and rights of bounty hunters in tracking a skip. Some states allow them, all means necessary in order to apprehend and arrest those who have skipped out, but other states have stricter laws. For additional information on your state laws regarding this, please contact a bail bondsman in your area.

Copyright 2006 – Ivar Rudi, Ivar suggests you find great market for less by shopping online today. For more information and resources check out: [http://www.bail-bonds-guide.com/]www.bail-bonds-guide.com/

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Bail Bonds – Ways to Meet Bail Bond Requirements

September 9, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Ivar Rudi

In criminal cases, judges require defendants to meet the requirements of bail bonds to help ensure the court that the defendants will return for their trial. The only option opposed to meeting the requirements is to sit in jail until the conclusion of your court case. The following paragraphs will discuss several ways to meet the requirements.

The first way to meet the requirements that a judge has set is to pay the entire amount in cash. Once the cash is deposited, and the paperwork complete, the defendant is released from jail pending trial. They are required to appear at all scheduled court hearings, and failing to do so can result in the forfeiture of the entire amount of the bonds. But if the defendants do show up in court as ordered, the entire amount will be refunded upon the closure of their cases.

Another way to meet the requirements is to enlist the help of a licensed bondsman. They are often located near the courthouse, and most commonly charge the average fee of 10 percent of the bond amount. For this fee, he will handle all the paperwork, and get you out of jail. If you fail to appear at a scheduled court hearing, to prevent bail bonds forfeiture, a bondsmen will likely hire a bounty hunter to locate you, and bring you back to appear in court.

Finally, when the accused crime is a non-violent one, or the judge does not see the defendant as a flight risk, generally no amount will be ordered by the judge. Instead, the accused defendants are allowed to be released from jail on their “own recognizance”, or with the promise they will return to court for all scheduled hearings associated with their case. If the defendants do not return, there is no amount to forfeit, but they will be rearrested, as well as face additional charges of contempt of court.

Bounty Hunters Help Prevent Bail Bond Forfeiture.

Going to jail is never fun, and trying to get out of jail can be even more difficult. That is why many people enlist the help of bail bondsmen, to assist in meeting the requirements of their bonds. The whole concept behind is to ensure the court that defendants will return to court. So, when you enlist the help of a bondsman, he will do all that is necessary to ensure you return to court, including sending out a bounty hunter to locate and apprehend you. The following paragraphs will discuss bounty hunters.

A bail bondsman is a professional agent who specializes in providing bonds for people charged with crimes in order to obtain their release from jail. They are ensuring the court that defendants will return to all scheduled hearings, as to not forfeit the amount of the bonds. When a defendant fails to show up for a scheduled hearing, they will often hire bounty hunters to help locate and apprehend the defendants, as to help prevent forfeiture. But if beforehand, he has reason to believe any of his clients are about to flee, he has the right himself, to revoke the bonds, and surrender his clients to local authorities.

The laws for bounty hunters vary from state to state. In some states, it is permitted for them to use any means of apprehending jumpers, even breaking and entering was permitted. In most states, it still is legal for a bounty hunter to break and enter in order to apprehend jumpers, as long as the residence belongs to the person they wish to apprehend. Gun laws normally apply to bounty hunters, so in order to cross the state line carrying a gun, they must get a permit in most cases.

In most states, bounty hunters have arresting power over bonds jumpers. In some states, local law enforcement must be present when the arrests are made, and other states require that the bondsman himself make the arrests. And in some states, that is left up to the bounty hunters.

Being arrested is never fun, and when defendants enlist the help of bondsmen to help meet the requirements, the court is assured the defendant will return to court. Bounty hunters help tremendously on cutting down the number of bail bonds forfeiture.

Copyright 2006 – Ivar Rudi, Ivar suggests you find great market for less by shopping online today. For more information and resources check out: [http://www.bail-bonds-guide.com/]www.bail-bonds-guide.com/

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