After a suspect gets arrested on TV shows like Law and Order, he often goes straight to court and gets his sentencing. However, Hollywood likes to omit the part about the accused having to wait in jail for weeks before he gets a chance to stand in front of a judge. Those who can’t post bail must go directly to jail and just wait until their court date is set. These days, the courts are so busy that an individual may end up waiting in jail for an extremely long time before it’s their turn to go to court. That’s why it’s important for people charged with crimes to be able to post bail and not spend a lot of time behind bars before they can even be tried. When bail is too expensive, an accused party can use surety bonds in Angleton to help them get out of jail for the time being.
What is a surety bond?
A surety is a bond financed by a bondsman. If a defendant uses a surety, he or she must pay a premium up front and the bondsman covers the rest. Usually the premium is 10 percent of the bail amount, but it varies from situation to situation. So if a defendant’s bail is set at $5,000, the defendant must pay the bondsman $500, and the bond company takes care of the rest. This $500 premium is non-refundable. Upon paying that 10 percent fee, the defendant agrees that he or she will appear in court on the date set by the judge.
How do I go about getting a surety bond?
Surety bonds in Angleton can be procured from any bail bond company. If you have a friend or family member sitting in jail, you can go to any bondsman and pay the bondsman a percentage of their bail money. You’ll then sign the contract on behalf of your friend or family member and essentially become their cosigner. If the bail is really high, sometimes a bondsman will require the cosigner to put up collateral along with the percentage.
The benefit of working with a trusted bail bondsman is that they can offer surety bonds for a very low percentage of the bail money, and can even work with you to figure out the best way to get your loved one out of jail pending trial.
Is there a catch?
While surety bonds in Angleton may sound like they’re too good to be true, we assure you that there’s no catch if you play by the rules. As long as you pay the bail percentage and the defendant shows up to court on the correct date, everything will work out just fine. However, if the defendant decides to go on the lam, we’ll have to send a bounty hunter after him or her and haul the defendant back to jail.
We offer a variety of options to assist defendants. Contact Brazoria County Bail Bonds the next time you or a loved one needs help getting out of jail.