If you’ve been arrested, your main priority is most likely finding a way to get out of jail as quickly as possible. Luckily, if the court doesn’t see you as a flight risk or a continual threat to society, they may set a bail amount that can be paid to release you from jail temporarily. However, if the court sets the bail too high, it may be impossible to post bail on your own. That’s where bail bonds come in, as they can help you post bail to achieve conditional freedom until your specified court date. If you have been arrested, please continue reading and contact a skilled Rockland County Criminal Defense Attorney who can help you understand your legal options.
What is a bail?
When an individual is in custody awaiting their court hearing, if they haven’t committed a violent crime or are not a flight risk, the court can release them upon payment of an agreed-upon sum of money known as bail. Essentially, any person who has been charged with a non-capital crime is usually entitled to bail. However, granting bail is up to the court’s discretion, meaning they can deny it altogether.
Depending on the specific circumstances of the crime, the amount of bail will be set will vary, which means it can be arranged at an excessively high amount, making it extremely difficult for individuals to pay it. If an individual can pay their bail, they will temporarily be released from jail until their trial date. Bail is conditional, meaning the individual must appear before the court on the specified court date. If they fail, they will be brought back to jail.
How do bail bonds work in New York?
As mentioned above, the court can set the bail amount at an astronomical level, diminishing an individual’s ability to be temporarily released from jail. Nevertheless, this is where bail bonds come into play. If you cannot cover the cost of your bail and you do not want to remain in jail until your court date, you can turn to a bail bond agency. A bail bond agency is a company that will pledge money as a surety that an individual charged with a crime will appear in court for their trial.
Bail bonds work like personal loans. The bail bond agency will charge a percentage of the bail amount upfront in return for their services and may charge additional fees depending on the circumstances. In most cases, individuals will also have to put valuable assets up as collateral, such as jewelry, cars, or even the deed to a house, which ensures the bail bond agency will receive some payment in the event the individual does not appear for all of their necessary court proceedings.
What happens if I skip bail?
If the individual skips bail, meaning they do not show up for their specified court dates, the agency will typically hire a bounty hunter to seek out the individual and return them to court. If the bounty hunter locates and returns the individual to the court within the given grace period, the bail money can be returned to the bondsman. However, if they do not return, the money put up by the bail bonds agency will be taken by the court, and the collateral acting as security for the bail bond will be taken by the agency.
If you’re facing criminal charges and need a legal strategy tailored to your needs, contact the Law Office of Carl Spector today for quality legal representation. Our firm is prepared to defend your rights and interests.
