How does the bail bond process work?
There are so many aspects of the bonding process. Most people are completely unaware of how it all works.
I will try to briefly explain this process for you. Please call us to clarify any questions you may have.
Once a person is arrested they are taken to the local jail for processing. The processing (booking) takes about 1-3 hours to complete. Once the booking process is complete the arrested person will have the option to stay in jail or bond out.
By staying in jail, the arrested person will be held until the case(s) are satisfied. This process usually takes more than one month and more than one court appearance. Most people choose to post their bond immediately.
To bond out of jail, you have 2 options. Pay a bond with a bail bond agency or cash bail bond by paying the full amount of the bond(s) in cash. The cash bail bond option means that you will have to deliver cash to the jail. Most jails no longer accept cash. Instead they mostly accept money orders and cashiers checks but no credit cards.
Contact your local jail to find out their payment requirements. If you post a cash bond your money can and will be used to pay all the court fees. Basically you should be aware that you will not receive a refund from this transaction as your money is applied to the court costs. If a refund is available, a check will be mailed to you from the Clerk of Court usually within sixty days after the case(s) are closed. Contact the Clerk of Court regarding any refund on cash bonds.
Posting a bond with a Florida Bail Bond Agent: The bail bond agent (bail bond agency) will charge you a fee or percentage of the total bond amount. In the State of Florida the bail bond fees are set by the State and are not negotiable (Florida Statute ). For any bond that is $1,000 or under will cost you $100. If a bond is greater than $1,000. then you would pay 10% of that bond. Example: one bond set at $500 will cost $100 with a bail bond agency. If one bond is set at $1,500 that will cost 10% or $150 with a bail bond agency.
If your person has multiple bonds (charges) then you must pay for each bond. Example: bonds are set at $750,150,&100. You will have to pay $300. $100 per bond as they each fall under $1000.
My agency can assist you with some financing (payment plan) if you can’t afford the total fees today.
Usually we can start the bonding process before the booking is complete if you know exactly what the charge is. Otherwise we may have to wait until the booking process is complete.
Contact Us now so we can check your persons booking status.
Why use a Bail Bond Agency?
When you cannot afford the total amount of a bond or you choose not to pledge all your money up front. You may decide to hire a Bail Bondsman. Remember that if a bond is set at $5000 you could post 10% with a bondsman instead of paying all of the $5000 (cash bond). What a bail bond agency will do is pay the bond to the jail to secure the release. For our fee we offer extensive experience of the court and jail systems. We can make this very difficult situation quite painless for you and your family.
How does the bonding process work?
If you have decided to post a cash bond at the jail. Contact the jail and have them tell you exactly what that particular jail requires for payment. Jail payment policies change often so call ahead first.
If your posting a bond with my agency we can expedite the process if you call ahead first. It’s ok to just show up as the whole process at my office will take about 15 minutes. A few forms have to be completed but my staff does most of the work. Once were done, me or my agent will deliver the bond paperwork to the jail immediately. You do not have to do anything more.
Once the jail receives a bond. The jail has numerous procedures to complete before a person is released from jail. This process generally takes 2-5 hours. Generally the bigger the jail, the longer the release process takes. You do not have to be at the jail for the release. Once the defendant is released he will need to stop by my office to complete the paperwork and discuss the next court date. This will take less than 5 minutes.
Court and Court dates:
My office will provide all the court date information. Usually there is a pre set date to appear about 2-4 weeks from the date of arrest. The first court date is typically called an arraignment.
This is where the defendant will plea guilty or not guilty.
A guilty plea will resolve the case that day. A not guilty plea will set the case for additional court dates.
A not guilty plea means you are fighting the charge. Expect your case to last for several months and require numerous court appearances.
When you fight a charge you will typically need to be represented by an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, the court will usually appoint the Public Defender’s Office. Contact the Clerk of Court, Public Defender’s Office or your local Bar Association for additional information.
Charges without pre set court dates.
You are released with “To Be Notified” status. The Clerk of Court will notify you and my office by mail. My office will call you the day we receive that notice. This process may take a few months before the first court date is set. Trust me!
My office will always notify you of court dates. We like to call everyone a few days before every court appearance. It is your obligation to keep your contact information current with the our office. Also, you can always call us to obtain the latest court information.
Transfer Bonds:
If your person is incarcerated in a jail outside your home town. We can arrange a bond to be posted practically any where in the United States. This process is called a transfer bond. We arrange all the paperwork in my office but the local bail bond agency will post the bond and deal with that particular jail to ensure the defendant is released asap.
All transfer bonds will cost additional fees beyond the normal bail bond premium. In the State of Florida we can get a transfer bond posted between $50-100 additional. Other States may cost considerably more. We have hundreds of affiliated agents throughout the United States. Call us now to discuss your options.
Collateral:
Collateral is not always required when posting a bond through our office. Each and every situation is different. If collateral is required, we will hold something of value ( car title, real estate, cash, jewelry, etc) to offset any loss if the defendant fails to appear.
As long as the defendant appears and the case is resolved, you will get your collateral back. A contract is considered collateral even though you haven’t given anything except your signature. We usually will only require a signature bond (release).
Signature Bonds-Signature Release:
This is a term that is used when you post a bond for someone without pledging additional collateral to secure the bond.
A signature bond is when you will sign only a contract that you pledge to repay the bonding agency if the defendant skips court (failure to appear). If they fail to appear you will come in and pay us back the total amount lost.
The two standard bail bond contracts generally signed are a Promissory Note and Indemnity Agreement.
See a copy of these forms here.
Immigration Bail Bonds:
If your person is being held in jail on a federal immigration case. You can still post a Federal bond but the fee will be 15% and will require collateral. Federal bonds are very intricate. These type of cases have additional risk due to Federal guidelines. Call us to discuss your situation.
Warrants (capias) for your arrest:
My agency has a network we can access to see if you have any outstanding warrants for your arrest. If you have an active warrant we can assist you in turning yourself in and bonding back out immediately. This process is termed a “walk thru arrest”. This process is very quick and convenient.
Jail Inmate Search:
Most County Jails are now offering inmate search information online. 33rd Street Bail bond has an extensive network of jails throughout the United States to access for current inmate information. We have listed just a few local sites to search. Call us if your county is not listed or, if you prefer our on call Bail agent can assist you with your search. We can run a County Jail inmate search for you.
Feel free to contact us at the office if you have any additional questions.
