The courts use bail bonds, also known as surety bonds, to ease some of the financial burdens on defendants. Defendants make a financial promise in the form of a bail bond to appear in court. This process can confuse people, so most licensed bail agents are available any time, day or night, to speak with you about your needs and provide additional information about bail bonds in Orlando.
When you call a bail bond company, they will ask you general information about the case, including custody location, charges, residence and employment. The agency considers a variety of factors when determining the risk of granting a bail bond.
The client needs to sign legal documents in order to work with a bail bond agency. Bondsmen can quickly fax or email them to you, or send a licensed bail bond agent directly to the client. Once the client signs the paperwork and the bail company reviews it, the agent will pay the bond so the defendant can be released. This process takes between one and two hours after the holding facility has completed arrest and booking. The cost to clients is set by law at 10 percent of the bail amount. The bondsmen may also require collateral to be paid to secure the bond in addition to the ten percent fee. Examples of collateral include houses, boats, cash, credit or other tangible valuable items.
The bail bond company supervises those on release as a promise to the courts that they will appear as directed. The agent will go find a person who fails to appear in court or “skips bail.” Money from family or friends put up as collateral helps ensure the defendant’s appearance. If you sign your name to guarantee a person’s appearance in court, you are responsible to help find the defendant.
During booking, jail personnel take fingerprints, search criminal records and check for warrants. The person is searched for illegal contraband, such as weapons or drugs. Bail is set. Their personal effects are held by the facility until their release. They are permitted to make a phone call. Booking and processing the defendant can take from one to several hours, depending on the size and busyness of the facility.
Using a bail bondsman is only one of the many ways one can be released from jail. Below is a list of the four other ways one can be released from jail while awaiting a court date:
No matter which of the five methods you use for a release from jail, it takes anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to update the jail computer, gather personal effects, call up the defendant, and review court paperwork.
The Umansky Law Firm has many clients that use bonds at the beginning of their criminal justice process and we have the resources needed to get you in touch with a local bondsman willing to put up your bail.
Being forced to sit behind bars as wait to see a judge is one of the most inconvenient things that a person can be faced with. Outside of the jail, you have bills to pay, a family that relies on you, and other responsibilities that need attending to. No one benefits from you being behind bars if you haven’t been convicted of any crime.
The criminal defense lawyers at The Umansky Law Firm have over 100 years of combined experience and close ties with bail bonds agencies throughout Central Florida. Our team of former state and local prosecutors can help get released from jail to allow you to get everything in order before your due to appear in court. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
The Umansky Law Firm Criminal Defense & Injury Attorneys