When someone is arrested and bail is set for their release from jail, there is the option of offering something as collateral to the court or to a bail bondsman if you don’t have enough money to cover it. Bail is an incentive to ensure that the defendant shows up for his/her court dates. Once the trial is over, no matter if it’s dismissed or the defendant is found innocent or guilty, any bail money or collateral will be returned to its owner. A bail bond agent will charge a non-refundable fee of 10% that will not be returned. It’s the fee for using their services.
No one wants to get a call in the middle of the night form a loved one who has been arrested. It’s scary and confusing. You may be angry or upset with him for his actions but regardless, you want to help. Should you? If your loved one has done this a lot, is a habitual offender who has called upon you often for this kind of help, should you give it, again? Unfortunately, this is a question that only you can answer.
No one should ever drive under the influence. It’s quite simple: people will die and lives will be ruined. But drivers still get behind the wheel of their two-ton hunks of potential destruction when their mental abilities have been impaired by alcohol or drugs. Media campaigns warning of the dangers aren’t enough so police departments across the country periodically conduct DWI checkpoints to catch drivers who have had too much to drink.
Everyone knows that when you’ve been arrested and you get out of jail on bail, you’re supposed to be on your best behavior. In fact, it’s typically part of the conditions of your bail that you refrain from committing any crimes or even hanging out with people who do. The court isn’t letting you out on bail so you can commit crimes; they let you out because you promise to behave and to show up for your court dates. They’re giving you a chance to get on the right path.
A person’s right to privacy is being decimated in the digital age. With video cameras on every street corner and details on every keystroke we make being sold to the highest bidder, our own personal privacy is poised to become a distant memory.
One of the first things that a police officer does after he or she has pulled you over for a minor traffic violation is to “run your license” which means they’re looking to see if you have a criminal history that they should be aware of but also see if you have any outstanding warrants for your arrest. Often, people aren’t even aware that a warrant has been issued for their arrest.
You know it by heart, whether you’ve ever been arrested or not. It’s recited on every episode of every police show. You have the right to remain silent. But what’s it all about? Where did it come from and are these rights really that important for me to know?
If you’re arrested and need to post bail to get out of jail, you have a few options. If you don’t have enough money for bail or a bond but you own a home, you can use that as collateral to get out of jail. It’s called a property bond. A property bond is a bond that uses a valuable property, such as your home, to post bond instead of cash. Property bonds can be equity in a person’s home, commercial building, or vacation home.
For many people who are arrested, bail is set too high to be able to afford. It is, after all, meant to be high enough so you wouldn’t want to skip out on bail and lose it. But for others, it’s not out of reach and they can tap into their savings and pay the full amount of bail and get it back after they’ve shown up in court. No matter the outcome―acquittal, guilty, or the case was dropped―bail will be returned to the defendant. Should you post the bail yourself or use a bail bond agent?
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.