Many Americans have been arrested at one time or another in their lives. In fact, statistics show that 52% of American men will be arrested at least once in their lifetime. The cause of these arrests will vary, from driving under the influence charges to criminal shoplifting and theft charges. Some crimes are more serious than others, and carry more penalties and served time requirements. Either way, a defendant who is being charged with a crime has the right to await trial outside of court. Most times, a judge will set a bail amount and time for a defendant, granting them this right. A monetary amount of money will need to be paid to the court, to ensure the defendant will return for their court date. If they return, the money will be returned, if they do not, the money will then be forfeited.
Findings by the Bureau of Justice Statistics show the number of people who need money for bail has gone up by 30% between 1990 and 2006, which was the last year bail statistics were released. So the chances of needed to be bailed out or helping someone else get out of jail may not be as slim as you think. Bail bonds are monetary loans that are provided to the defendant or the defendant?s family, when they are unable to come up with the bail money. It is essentially a loan, and the bail bond agency becomes the lender, rather than the court. The court will not provide bail bond funds to those who cannot afford it.
A bail bond agency may provide a bail bond for a variety of charges. They may provide bail bonds money to misdemeanor bonds, which are less serious offenders or to felony criminal bonds, which often are much higher monetary bonds amounts and carry a greater risk. A bail bond agency understands these risks and may require collateral or signed documents to release a bail bond. A bail bondsman may be necessary to collect the forgone bail bonds money, if a defendant does not show up for their court date and decides to forfeit their bail bonds money.
A bail bond agency actually helps out the city it resides in and the tax payers of that city. On any given day, 60% of the U.S. jail population is composed of people who are not convicted, but are being held in detention as they await the resolution of their charge. These are people that are eligible for bail, but cannot afford the cost of the bail. Many of them are even likely to return for their court date. A bail bond agency gets these defendants out of jail, reducing the amount of locked up residents that require food, medical care and shelter.
Many people have been in the unfortunate situation of an arrest. There are a variety of reasons that someone might be arrested, but everyone has the right to await their trial outside of the jail. A court may require a bond to ensure that the defendant will return, and a bail bond agency is a company that provides this money to those that cannot afford it. A bail bond agency provides many benefits and advantages, such as tax breaks for local residents.