An Introduction To Bail Bonds

When a citizen of the United States is arrested, they are offered the chance to request bail. If the crime committed is small, it may be possible to be released almost immediately. The reasoning for this is pretty straightforward. The courts have many people waiting to be seen by a judge, and because someone is always presumed innocent until proven otherwise, the law states that they may have a short-term release period before they go on trial.

What is Bail?

When the court grants bail, they are essentially accepting a cash deposit that acts as collateral. That way, the defendant is more encouraged to stand and face the charges brought against him. When the person shows up in court, they receive their bail money back (even if the defendant is determined to be guilty). However, a person might "jump" or "run" bail and then his collateral would go to the court at a certain point in time.

How to Obtain Bail

Either a close friend or relative can offer a loan to the defendant or they can seek a loan from a bondsman. This is a person who specializes in lending money to people in difficult situations. He or she will typically ask for some form of collateral as well as an interest rate for the loan.

The Business of Bail Bonds

It can be risky, with accused criminals being the main customer. However, it can be very lucrative because the majority of people show up in court when they are supposed to and then the bondsman will receive their money back in addition to any interest accrued. However, this rosy scenario only happens when everything goes smoothly. The bondsman can lose money on the transaction if the defendant goes into hiding or otherwise refuses to pay.

To collect his money, the bondsman might hire a bounty hunter to find the escapee. If the bounty hunter finds them before the deadline set by the court, then the bondsman can receive their money back.

The issue of bail bonds can be confusing if you don't know how they work at first, but they are actually quite simple. The courts have come up with a system that offers defendants the chance to live outside of the jail walls while they are awaiting trial. Bail bonds offer a way for the courts to obey the law, for defendants to resume their lives, and for bondsman to help accused people and earn a living from the interest of their loans. Contact A Bail Now Bail Bonds, Inc. for more information.

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