Bail Bond Basics
Hopefully, you or a loved one will never have to post bail. It can be part of a harrowing experience. Unfortunately, things happen and you may need Pa bail bonds.
The Nuts and Bolts of Bail Bonds
It’s a common thing to hear on the local news: Someone has gotten in trouble with the law. has been arrested, and has been released on bail. What exactly does this “bail” mean.
In basic terms, if you are arrested, it is a common consequence that you go to jail. If you go to jail you either stay there until trial, or you are released. In the United States, there are two ways to e released from jail. Either the judge releases you “on your own recognizance”, or you can be released if you post “bail”. Posting bail means that you or some third party provides a sum of money, stipulated by the judge, to the court, because you are deemed to be a “flight risk”. The court believes that you will show up for your hearing to face justice because you will want your bail money back.
The amount of bail, therefore, is usually quite high. Many, if not most people do not have large sums of cash on hand to post bail. This is where bail bonds come into play. A bail bond is a type of bond known as a “surety bond“, the value of which is provided for you to the court by a third-party bail agent or bail bondsman, so that you can get out of jail. When all is said and done, you need to pay it back to the bondsman.
What To Do if A Loved One Need a Bail Bond
If you need a bail bond, here are a few tips for finding a good bail bondsman:
- They will be backed by the Better Business Bureau
- They will be eager to accommodate your financial situation
- They will have been in business for a long time in the same location with the same ownership
Hopefully, these tips will be of help.
