Working With A Bail Bonds Service To Get Out Of Jail
Calling a bail bonds service if you are arrested for something is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. A bail bonds service does not have to post your bond, so they will want to talk with you about what is going on so they can try and get a feel for you and determine if they are willing to risk posting your bond.
Start with a Phone Call
If you can make calls from the jail, you can start by calling the local bail bonds services and talking to them about your situation. Many bond agencies are open 24/7, so you can get a hold of someone there no matter when you are taken to jail. While you may reach someone at three in the morning to discuss your bail, it may still take some time to put everything in motion to get you released.
If the charges are severe enough, the judge often needs to set the bail, which will not happen until the court opens around nine or ten in the morning. Charges of this nature may also carry a significantly higher bail, and if the judge feels you are a flight risk, they may not allow the bond agency to post your bail. While this is rare, you need to be prepared that you may need to wait a whole day to get a bail amount set, or you may not be able to get it at all.
Preset Bail Amounts
Many charges have set bail amounts already in place in some states and counties, so if you are arrested, you may know as soon as you arrive at the jail what the bond will be. The bail bonds service can come and post that bail right away and get you released, but charges like these often require you to return to the courthouse the following day to go before the judge for arraignment.
Do not skip that appearance even if you are already out on bail because that one missed court date is grounds for your bail to be revoked, and the court will return you to jail. Follow the instructions the jail, the bondsman, and the court gives you to the letter, and in most situations, you will get through the process faster and with less stress. The judge is more lenient in some courts, but it is never a good idea to test them.
If you have never been arrested before and the charges are for something that could be perceived as an error in judgment, getting the rest of the process right can go a long way to helping you get through the case and demonstrate your responsibility and willingness to resolve things correctly.
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