The bail industry is shrouded in a cloud of mystery and suspicion. Hollywood doesn’t portray bail agents in a good light, and often, this is the only reference people have for our business. Unfortunately, most people miss the fact that bail agents work hard to help people when they need it most – immediately after an arrest. Our goal is to help people get loved ones out of jail quickly, and for a good price. We provide answers to many questions about the bail industry and about the jail and booking process. We seek to educate an encourage the people who come to us for help. In today’s blog post, we’re going to cover the most common bail questions so you can get the answers you need to learn about obtaining Jefferson County bail bonds.

1. What is Bail?

When person is arrested, they are booked in jail, and eventually, a bail amount is set. Courts require a person to post bail in order to get out of jail, because it acts as a kind of insurance that they will return to court for all their hearings and appearances. If a person pays using a cash bond, they will receive this money back at the end of their criminal case. There are multiple ways to post bail – including paying cash, using property as collateral, or working with a bail bondsman.

2. What is a Bail Bond?

It is important to understand the difference between bail and a bail bond. Sometimes, the bail amount the court sets is extremely high. When choosing to pay cash to obtain a person’s release, the court requires full payment – in cash. Most people don’t have this kind of money laying around. This is where a bail bondsman comes in. When you work with a bail agent, you pay them a fee (usually a percentage of the bail amount), and in return, they post the bail amount for you. Bail agents are backed by special insurance companies.

3. Is the Bail Bond Fee Refundable?

Unlike bail amounts, you won’t receive your bail bond fee back at the end of the criminal case. This is because you are paying the fee as a service to the bondsman. Think of purchasing a bail bond like renting money – instead of coming up with $2,000 all at once to bail someone out of jail, you only have to come up with $200 when you work with a bail agent. For the convenience of not having to come up with a large amount of cash, you are paying a fee.

4. How Long Does the Booking Process Take after an Arrest?

The amount of time the booking process takes depends entirely on where you are located. Every jail is different. And, it varies depending on how busy the jail is at the time of the arrest, whether or not the arrestee was charged with DUI, and many other factors. The best thing to do is to contact a bail agent and be prepared to bail them out the second you possibly can.

5. What Happens if the Defendant Skips Bail?

If a person fails to show up in court for all their court dates, usually a warrant will be issued for their arrest. If the defendant posted a cash bond, they will not receive their money back and will face additional charges. If they worked with a bail bondsman, both the co-signer and bail agent will be held responsible for the full amount. This is why bail agents and family members often hire bounty hunters to find and return the defendant. In this situation, they will no longer be held accountable. This is why it important for the defendant to appear for all court dates, and why you need to trust the person you are co-signing for.

Call All American Bail Bonds for Advice and Help

If you just got the news that a loved one was arrested, call All American Bail Bonds immediately to begin working on their release. Sitting in jail awaiting trial is difficult, both physically and mentally. Contact us to get answers to your questions and to get your friend or family member out of jail as fast as possible!

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