A criminal defendant is the one who posts bail promises to appear in court or to pay the bail amount ordered by the court. A bail bondsman is an individual who guarantees the payment of a bail bond in exchange for a fee from the defendant. Know more about bail bonds pittsburgh.
Bail bonds are a specific kind of surety bond
The only two countries where a commercial bail bond system is in place are the United States and the Philippines. In certain jurisdictions, criminal defendants who post bail are subject to certain conditions before their release until trial.
A Walk Through the Process of a Bail Bond
A bail hearing is a hearing in which a judge decides whether or not to release someone arrested on criminal charges. The judge will set the bail amount. If the defendant is accused of a serious offense or looks to be a flight risk, the court may refuse to grant bail or may make bail very high.
Bail amounts are discretionary with the judge and vary by region. Bail might be $500 for a person charged with a minor, nonviolent crime. Bail amounts of $20,000 or more are typical for felony offenses.
Only in the United States and the Philippines may one get a business bail bond
Once bail has been established, the defendant may either stay in prison until the charges are settled at trial, post a bail bond, or post cash in full payment of the bail sum. Some courts may take house ownership or other valuable collateral in place of cash as a last resort.
If the defendants whose presence is guaranteed by bail bondsmen do not show up for their court dates, the bondsmen promise in writing to pay the entire amount of the bail to the court. For their services, bail bond agents often want 10% of the total bail amount up in advance, plus any applicable costs. The percentage that may be charged is limited to 8% in certain states.
The agent may also request a creditworthiness statement or ask for collateral like property or stocks from the defendant. When posting bail, most bail bond companies will take stocks, bonds, and other financial assets in addition to vehicles, jewels, and homes. The defendant will be freed pending trial after bail, or a bail bond is submitted.