If you or any of your loved ones get imprisoned, you might want to know how to get yourself on bail. You need to know the right process as there are a thousand spammers out there who would get your pocket empty for nothing. The person who is imprisoned and wants to get bail is called a defendant. For those who don’t know, bail is a specific amount of money you have to pay to get yourself out of jail before the punished period. The amount is usually a lot more than what a person can have. However, bailing yourself out of jail becomes a lot easy if you rely on the services of a bail bondsman. A bail bondsman is a person that pays your bail amount as a loan to you.
What impacts the amount of bail?
The judge decides the final bail amounts, which are payable at a station house. According to the crime committed, the judge sets the amount of bail, keeping the defendant’s affordability in mind. You can even request a lower amount, which will need a separate bail hearing. However, in some cases, the criminal justice system becomes inherently unjust to people who can’t afford a high amount of bail. Modern technology has come up with an algorithm to calculate a fair bail amount according to its age, crime, and medical conditions.
What is the procedure to get yourself bailed out of jail?
After the defendant gets imprisoned, they have to appear for an initial court hearing where the judge sets the bond amount. If you or your family cannot afford this amount, you can approach a bail bondsman to help you out. The bail bondsman pays your bail amount, and you have to pay him back in installments with interest. Once you are out of jail, you have to follow specific rules, which will lead to the cancellation of your bail. You will also have to appear at all the court dates strictly. The Bail bondsman will need your full name, DOB, the jail location, booking number and charges, and the bond amount.
In some cases, you can also get out of jail for free. It will need you to prove your trustworthiness to the court. If the court believes that you won’t flee the law, you may get yourself an O. R. (own recognizance). O.R. is a term used when a defendant is left free based on a mere promissory note to return to court. Certain factors decide if the judge will release you on your recognizance. The court will briefly evaluate your criminal record and family background for this purpose.
Getting trapped on the wrong side of the law can bring out many negative consequences in your life. It is always better to get yourself a bail as soon as possible to avail yourself of freedom. Get knowledge about the different ways to get bail and you can sail though this effortlessly and on time.
