Nobody ever wants to be arrested but it happens and you could find yourself one day behind bars wondering what you’re supposed to do next. Or you could get a phone call in the middle of the night from a loved one who has been arrested and needs your help to get out of jail. Knowing a little about how the process works can make things go more smoothly and get the ball rolling faster on your release.
Bail
When you’re arrested, you’ll be booked and go to jail until you can appear before a judge. The judge will look at the nature of the crime, the potential that you’ll skip your court appearances, your criminal history, etc. and make a decision as to whether or not to release you on bail as well as determine how much the bail should be. Some will look at bail schedules for recommendations. Bail is the amount of money that you have to pay in order to be released from jail and allowed to go home. It’s purposely set high so it will hurt because it’s meant to compel you to make your court appearances and if you do, you’ll get your money back. Most people that are arrested don’t have enough cash to pay the bail. This is where a bond agent comes in.
Bond Agent
If you can’t afford bail, you can seek the services of a bail bond agent. A bail bond agent “puts up” the money for your bail and you pay the bail bond agent a non-refundable premium of 10% of the bail amount. For example, if your bail was set at $5,000, you only have to pay the bail bond agent $500 but when you show up for your trial, you won’t get the $500 back because it’s the bond agent’s fee.
What If I Miss My Court Date?
Don’t. But if you do miss your court date by accident, call the bail bond agent immediately. It may not be too late and you may be able to make amends before the bail is revoked. If you decided to skip your court date intentionally, a warrant will be issued for your arrest and your bail will be revoked. The bail bond agent loses their money and may hire a bail recovery agent (or they may be a recovery agent too) to find you and bring you in because they can recover some of their money if they do. When they bring you in, you will be sent to jail until your trial. You’ll likely be charged with Failure to Appear or Contempt of Court which could carry additional fines and extra jail time. It’s always in your best interest to clean up your act while you’re out on bail and show up on time for all of your court-appointed appearances.
AAAA Discount Bail Bonds is a full-service bail bonding agency with two locations serving southeast Texas, but we can write bonds nationwide. We’re available 24/7 to help get your loved one out of jail quickly and discreetly and back home where he or she belongs. For your convenience, we now offer e-bonds which allows you to do all of your paperwork from your smartphone! If you or a loved one has been arrested, call AAAA Discount Bail Bonds today at (936)539-4444 and we’ll get that ball rolling!