Need to Post Bail? Questions About Bail and the Bail Bond Process

Has a friend or family member been arrested, and you're now trying to come up with the cash to pay for their bail? Thankfully, you do not need to have all the money on hand to get him or her out of jail. Bail bonds are a great way to provide the court with collateral that will help get someone out of jail until their court date. You will want to know the answers to these questions before you move forward with getting a bail bond.

What Is the Price of a Bail Bond?

A bail bond is essentially a small loan in exchange for paying a premium on the bail amount you need. Most states have their own limits to how much a bail bond premium can be, but Texas does things a bit differently. Each county is responsible for regulating the maximum premium for a bail bond. Let a bondsman know how much money you need for bail, and the bondsman will tell you what the premium is according to their county.

Is Collateral Necessary for a Bail Bond?

Getting back the bond amount depends on the accused person showing up for their court date. If the accused person jumps bail and does not show up for court, the bail amount is forfeited to the court. This fact is the reason why bail is required for early release and why a bondsman will require collateral for your bail bond.

Collateral is determined on a case-by-case basis. A bondsman considers the length of time the accused person has lived in their current home, length of employment, credit rating, and even any past criminal history. If the bondsman feels that the person will show up for their court date, the bondsman might not require collateral at all.

For situations that do require collateral, you could use jewelry, stocks, bonds, automobiles, and property. The collateral is returned after the case is closed and the bail amount is returned. In a situation where a person is given probation for their crime, the bail amount is returned and not tied to the probation sentence being completed.

Can the Bail Amount Be Lowered?

The premium you pay for a bail bond is based on how much money you need. It will help to get the bail amount as low as possible to reduce how much the premium will cost you.

One way to reduce the bail amount is to wait until the initial court hearing. You can always ask the judge to reduce the bail amount to make it more affordable. A judge considers many factors when lowering a bail amount, which is comparable to how a bondsman determines if a person is risky. A judge will look at previous criminal history, ties to their community, a long history of employment, and if the nature of the accused crime makes the person a threat to the community.



Can Bail Be Dismissed Completely?

A judge may release a person from jail on their own recognizance in some situations, which means that bail will not be required. All that is required from the suspect is a written promise to return to court for their court date.

In addition, only some crimes in Texas will require bail for a person to be released from jail, such as burglary, criminal activity, sexual assault, and kidnapping. Even if the accused crime is not on that list, refusing to submit to drug testing after being arrested could cause bail to be required for early release from jail.

For more questions about bail or the bail bond process, know that HOWL - N - OUT Bail Bonds can help.