Most people, if they are asked to describe a bail bond, would only be able to give a guess based upon what they had seen on television. Until they or a loved one is arrested, they would have no reason to know the ins and outs of Bail Bonds in Arlington TX. Continue reading to learn more about the process to be ready in case you or a loved one ever needs to post bail.
What is Bail?
Simply put, bail is an amount of money determined by a judge that a defendant needs to deposit with the court to be released from jail. The money is a promise that they will return for all of their court obligations. If they meet all of their obligations, regardless of if they are found innocent or guilty, then the money deposited will be returned to them.
Why Need a Bond?
So if a defendant can simply deposit the funds with the court, why would they even need Bail Bonds in Arlington TX? The answer to that is simple. They don’t need a Bondsman if they have the funds available. However, most people don’t have substantial amounts of cash just laying around to use for bail. That’s where a bail bond comes in.
How Does it Work?
Instead of paying the full amount to the court, when a defendant or their loved ones obtain a bail bond, they pay a percentage of the total bail, usually around 10%, as a fee to the bail bonding agent. They will also supply collateral to help secure the bond. The bail bonding company will then take the total bail to the court to secure the defendant’s release.
What Amount is Returned?
Once a defendant has met all of his or her court obligations, the collateral would be returned to whoever provided it. The bond fee paid to the bail bond agent would not be returned. That is their fee earned by supplying the remaining portion of the bail on the defendant’s behalf. If a defendant fails to meet their court obligation, the bonding company would be out the full amount of the funds so they would attempt to locate the defendant and return them to jail. If that is not possible, they will take ownership of the collateral assets to recover their losses.
