An Evening of Relaxing Takes a Turn for the Worst: What Does It All Mean?
Imagine that you are relaxing at home just chilling out watching a movie when you get a phone call from your spouse that changes everything. He was out with the guys and things got out of hand and now he is behind bars facing charges. He needs you to bail him out of jail. What do you do?
First, take a deep breath. While this is unexpected, we at 33rd Street Bail Bonds are here to help. While all of this is new to you and can be overwhelming, we can help you navigate the ins and outs of the bail bond process. Here’s an overview of the terminology that is used:
Pre-trial release – this is also known as PTR, where a person accused of a crime is released from custody to await trial
Bail – an amount of money set by the court that a defendant pays in order to leave jail, this is used as a guarantee that the defendant will show up in court at a later time
Bond – this is where a person pays a bail bond agency money to be released from jail. They pay a set amount and the bail bond agency fronts the rest of the amount
Bail bondsman – a licensed agent that provides the bail bond to the court in exchange for a fee
Premium – this is the fee paid by the defendant to the bail bondsman, it is usually 10% of the bail amount and is non-refundable, the state of Florida sets up the bail bond fees and they are not negotiable. If the bond is $1,000 or under, then you pay $100. If the bond is over $1,000 then you pay 10% of the bond. If there are multiple bonds then you need to pay for each bond
Indemnitor – this is just a fancy name for the person who actually signs the bond and takes the responsibility for the defendant, also called co-signer
Collateral – something of value that is held in case the defendant fails to appear. Examples can include car title, cash, jewelry
Signature bond-signature release – this is a contract that you sign without pledging additional collateral to secure the bond. Basically, you sign pledging to repay the bonding agency if the defendant fails to appear (skips out on court dates). If this happens, you will have to pay the total amount lost
Don’t worry, we will explain all of the terminology and requirements to you. After contacting us, you will need to fill out a few forms and provide information such as where your loved one is being held. Once this is completed, the staff at 33rd Street Bail Bonds will deliver the bond paperwork to the jail. The jail has to complete numerous procedures before releasing a defendant from jail. The process can take between two to five hours. Once the defendant is released from jail, then they will need to stop by the office to complete paperwork and discuss the court date. This only takes a few minutes of time. We will keep the defendant up to date on court date information.
33rd Street Bail Bonds has helped numerous clients across Central Florida including in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, and Volusia counties. We can help you too! Whether you or a loved one is facing charges of DUI, assault, battery, domestic violence, drug trafficking, drug possession, traffic violations, or more, we are here to assist you.
All of our bail bond agents are experienced and knowledgeable. We are family owned and operated and have been serving Central Florida since 1971. We have a bail bond agent available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and all year long. Please call us at 407-425-3303 to start the bail bond process. We are the name you can trust! Call today!