How Does Bail Work?

If you or a loved one has been arrested, you may be able to pay bail in order to get out of jail until such time as you have to go to trial. However, you may not be able to pay the full amount that the judge has set for bail. However, there is a way to be able to pay the bail and to get out of jail. That is to use a bail bond. But how does the bail bond work?

Getting Bail

The judge has the discretion on setting bail. Your attorney is going to argue that you should have minimal to no bail and that you have the chance to be released on your own recognizance. That has a better chance of working if you are a first time offender and your offense was relatively minor. However, the prosecutor may ask for a high bail or for you not to be given the chance of bail at all depending on your record and your offense.

Bonds Agency

The first thing you need to do is to talk to a bonds agency. They are the ones that actually pay the bond. The bonds person is taking a risk on you turning up for trial. If you don't show up for your trial date, the agency will send a recovery agent out to get you and take you back to jail until your trial date. 

Collateral

The bond agency doesn't pay your bail bond without a deposit. What your collateral will be depends on how high your bail is set. Usually, the collateral is a percentage of your bail. Your bond agency may accept some cash as a deposit on your bail. Otherwise, they are going to something like a house or a car as collateral. The way that it works is that the agency will get the money they put up back if you make it to your trial. However, if you don't make your trial date, the agency will lose the money that they put up for you, and the collateral that you put up is at risk of being forfeited, especially if their recovery agent isn't able to get you back to get a new trial date. 

If you or a loved one have been arrested and have gotten bail, you may have the chance to get out of jail, as long as you can find a bail agency, such as Absolute Bail Bonds, that will work with you. 

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