When someone you know is arrested and taken to jail, it might seem like that person won’t be released until going to court. An option would be to meet with a bail agent who can sign the paperwork so that the person is released after you pay a fee. The bail bond process begins as soon as someone is arrested and involves a few details that you need to consider before you decide to give any money to the agent and before you sign any paperwork pertaining to the release of the person who is in jail.
Once someone has been arrested and taken to jail, the booking process begins. Some of the information from the process will be needed to give to the agent. When you begin talking to domestic bail bonds Dayton OH agents, you need to have the inmate’s name and the location of the facility where the person is being housed. You should also have details of the crime that was committed or the crime that the person was charged with committing. It is not the bond agent’s job to determine guilt or innocence. The only thing that the agent will do is look at the charges to determine whether the release can be completed as there are some instances where an agent won’t complete the release. These include murder charges and similar crimes that often don’t involve a bail amount.
When the inmate goes in front of a judge or magistrate, a bail amount will be determined based on the crime and the background of the person arrested. Sometimes, a bond amount won’t be needed as the court will let the inmate sign a document to guarantee being in court when scheduled. Sometimes, the amount that the person pays is returned if the person does go to court. This is a detail that you need to work out with the agent. Some agents won’t give back the money that you pay as this is how the company makes money like any other business. You are paying a fee to have the person you know released from jail for at least a short time. Most bond amounts are about 10 percent of the bail. You can use cash as well as a credit or debit card. Some bail bond agents will also accept a property title. However, if the person doesn’t go to court, then you risk losing the property as the agent would then need to track down the defendant and take the defendant back to jail for skipping out on the bond.
Make sure you find a professional agent who understands the court process. This is someone you need to be able to trust and who won’t take your money without signing for the release of your friend or family member. There are sometimes conditions that the defendant must meet after being released from jail, such as checking in with the bail bond agent, especially right before the court date to ensure that the person will not leave town.
