Steps To Take Before Contacting Your Local Bail Bondsman

If somebody you care about is arrested and taken to jail, you will probably want to do everything you can to get them released as quickly as possible, including contacting a local bail bondsman. Thousands of people are arrested every day, and many of them will spend months in jail as their cases make their way through the criminal justice system. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, about 70% of the people behind bars in the United States are awaiting trial. If you want to prevent this from happening to one of your loved ones, there are things you can do to improve their chances of being released from custody.

 

What Happens When a Person Is Arrested?

 

When police officers taken an individual into custody, they complete an arrest report. Computers are used to complete this task, which means the information usually appears in state databases almost immediately. You can access these databases online to find out if somebody you know was arrested. After the suspect has been photographed and fingerprinted, they are placed in a cell to await their arraignment hearing. This is usually the point where suspects are given an opportunity to make a phone call.

 

If one of your loved ones calls you from jail, be very careful what you say because these calls are monitored. Instead of discussing the crime your loved one is suspected of committing, ask them where they are being held and where they will be arraigned. This is the information you will need to secure their release.

 

Arraignment Hearings

 

Arraignment hearings are held to determine whether a suspect should be released from custody or remain in jail. In the vast majority of cases, the arraignment judge will set bail. Suspects are denied bail when the judge determines that they are a flight risk. Bail is a dollar figure that is posted to make sure a suspect appears in court, and that figure is higher when the charges are serious because people facing years or even decades in prison have a greater incentive to flee.

 

Contacting A Local Bail Bondsman

 

The bail amount the arraignment judge sets for your loved one could be hundreds or even thousands of dollars. If you do not have the funds available to post cash bail, you can still get your loved one out of jail by posting what is known as a surety bond. To do this, you will need to contact a local bail bondsman to post the required amount. Most bail companies have around the clock service to help people who are worried about their loved ones, and they usually charge a fee equivalent to about 10% of the bail amount. This means that if your loved one’s bail is set at $500, you would only have to pay about $50 to get them released from jail.

 

Act Quickly

 

If you want to get one of your loved ones released from custody as soon as possible but lack the financial resources to post cash bail, you should contact an experienced, local bail bondsman as soon as you learn about their predicament. Doing this will allow us to make arrangements and take care of paperwork before your loved one’s arraignment hearing. We will go the extra mile to get your loved one released, and our professionals are available 22 hours a day.