Bonding OUT
By: Denmon & Denmon Trial Lawyers | Posted: 18th February 2011
Criminal Attorney on How to Bond Someone Out of Jail
You’re awakened early in the morning, and it is your family member on the other line. He is calling collect, from the local jail. “I am in jail”, they tells you. They don't even have a lawyer yet And you are the lucky one chose to get him out.
The first question that may arise is, What do you do? If a friend is calling you, that means the police agency has decided not to release him on his own recognizance. Rather, they have likely set a bond amount. That amount must be posted with the County to get your family member/ friend out. Below are the three necessary steps that will help you figure out how to get your friend out of jail.
1. Post the Cash Bond amount with the County
If your friend is in jail and needs you to get him out, you need to find out exactly how much the bond amount is. The bond is an insurance held on to by the County to make sure the person you are getting out of jail will eventually come back to jail. The thought process is, if you are willing to bond your buddy out for, say, $500.00, then you have a vested interest in making sure that same buddy does not skip town and miss court. More specifically, if you want to get your invested amount returned. If your buddy skips town, then the money is forfeited, and you are out the $500.00.
Therefore, the first step in bonding someone out is calling the jail to find out how much the bond comes to. Then, go to the jail, fill out the required paperwork, and post that cash bond. Realize that if you make sure your friend makes his court dates, so that you can get your money back as soon as the case is resolved. Accordingly, if you have the money, then do a cash bond.
1. If you don’t have enough cash, then you must call a bondsmen.
What if you don’t have the money to bond your friend out? Then it has become the time to call the bondsmen. You can pay the bondsmen a percentage of what the total bond is, provide the bondsmen with collateral for the rest, and the bondsmen will get your buddy out of jail.
It works like this: If the bond amount is over a $1000.00, then you pay the bondsmen ten percent of the bond amount. If it was $1000.00, then you pay $100.00. The bondsmen then goes to the county and “posts” the $1000.00. Meanwhile, the bondsmen will require some sort of asset collateral to cover the $900.00 balance.
When the case is closed, then the bondsmen gets his $1000.00 back. However, you will not receive your $100.00 back. That goes to the bondsman as his fee. If your buddy runs from court, then the bondsman hunts him down like the Dog the Bounty Hunter TV show , therefore he will not be out his $1000.00.
1. Be prepared to provide collateral to the bondsmen.
Especially in higher bond situations, the bondsman will ask for collateral to protect himself if your buddy leaves town. A car title, a boat title, or even a house deed can be held by the bondsman as collateral. In smaller bond situations, the bondsman may just ask you for a check for the balance of the bond that he will hold, “just in case”. Remember that when you, or your family member/ friend are placed in jail, the first thing you should do is speak with a Criminal Attorney. If you need a Tampa Criminal Lawyer ,Contact Denmon & Denmon Trial Lawyers.
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Tags: money, vested interest, necessary steps, paperwork, lawyer, insurance, collateral, thought process, family member, criminal attorney, lucky one