If someone has been arrested and they want you to bail them out, you might not know anything about bail, the process, and other facts that you should be aware of. Here are some answers you can read that cover popular topics asked by many when they are also unfamiliar with the topic of bail.
Is the information about someone's bail a matter of public record?
You may worry that when you bail someone out that their information as well as your own will become a matter of public record, for anyone to see. While information about their arrest may be a matter of public record, the information from the bail company will remain private, unless it is subpoenaed.
What is bail and a bail bonds company?
When a person is arrested, they will be booked into the system. They will have a court date in which they may get bail. If they pay the bail, they are released. If they don't pay the bail, they will remain in jail. A bail bonds company will put up the bail money and the defendant will agree to make it to all of their court dates and not get into any more trouble.
What is a cash bond?
Sometimes, the bail amount has been set at an amount that someone will be able to cover without needing to get a bail bond. A cash bond is the total amount of bail the person will need to give the court.
What happens if someone changes their mind?
If you have bailed someone out, but you wish that you hadn't, then you can request that the defendant turn themselves into the jail at any time before their miss a court date. You will need to fill out some paperwork. The money will then be returned to you shortly after.
How does collateral work?
Since the bail bond's company is taking a financial risk by providing the bail, they need assurances that they won't be on the losing end. Therefore, they will want collateral that covers the amount they are putting up, such as a car or house. There are things they look into in order to determine if collateral is required, including their criminal history, if they live in the area, if they are employed, and how they are related to the defendant or have come to know the defendant and how long they have known them.
Share
