What is a Bail Bond?
A Bail Bond, or “surety bond” is financial incentive for an arrested defendant to appear in front of the judge on their appointed court date.
A bail bond is used to get a defendant released from jail prior to their court date(s). The bail bond is more or less insurance provided to the court that the defendant will indeed show up for all of their appointed court dates if they are allowed to be freed from police custody to go about their lives.
One of the up-sides to securing release via bail bond is that a bail bondsman only charges a fraction of the total bail amount. If someone were to try and go directly to the court clerks to post bail, they would be required to pay the entire amount of bail – which is usually very expensive.
How Much Does a Bail Bond Cost?
We will meet and beat any locally advertised price! We add no additional charges or fees when you work with us, nor do we charge interest if you choose to finance your bail bond. Our goal is to help you get your friend or loved one out of jail as fast as possible, not to put financial stress on families. For clients who are interested in financing the cost of a bail bond, we have several flexible payment plans that are designed to fit a variety of budgets. Regardless of how you choose to pay, we never include any additional fees, charges or interest.
Is the Bail Premium Refunded Once the Case Ends?
The premium paid to a bail bondsman is non-refundable. Once a defendant is freed from jail, the bail bondsman’s service has been provided and paid for, no matter what the outcome in the courtroom.
What is an Indemnitor?
In order to secure release, an indemnitor (person who signs the bail bond) must pay a bail bondsman. This is what is known as “posting bail” and the fee is non-refundable, regardless of whether or not the defendant shows up for court. When a bail bond contract is signed, the indemnitor (person who signs it) will undertake several responsibilities:
The first responsibility is that the indemnitor, with the help of the bail agency, will ensure tha the defendant meets all of their court obligations. If the defendant fails to appear for their appointed date(s) in court, the indemnitor will take the responsibility of paying any additional fees associated, including the need for a fugitive recovery agent hired by the bail bond company to bring the defendant back to court. If the defendant cannot be located in order to return to court, the indemnitor is responsible for paying the entire face amount of bail as originally set. If any property was attached to the bail bond, it will be used to fulfill the monitary requirement of the indemnitor and will not be returned.