Bail Bonds in St. Petersburg, FL

Bail Bonds

How to Avoid Jail Time Even When You Don’t Have Money for Bail Bonds

When a person is incarcerated and booked for a serious crime, they must wait in jail until a bail hearing. In return, you will be allowed to walk free even if you are still undergoing trial for a criminal or civil charge. If the amount is too big, then the accused may have to remain behind bars up to the time he or she will be called in for the court hearing. However, it is possible to get the services of a bail bondsman to cover the amount. Fortunately, there is a way out of your predicament: You or your family can seek help from a bail bondsman who can post your bail in court to allow you temporary liberty.

There’s a reason why the correctional system is overburdened. Our website can link you to trustworthy and reliable bail bond agents in St. Petersburg.

The Bail Bond Explained

When you or your loved one lands in jail, the first order of business is getting out of jail. Depending on the backlog of cases, the judge may not be able to take your case in weeks or months.

The justice system allows two kinds of bail bond—a criminal bail bond and a civil bail bond.

A criminal bail bond is what you will need when facing a criminal case. This surety guarantees that the defendant will be at the trial and that he or she will shoulder the fines and penalties, as determined by the court.

On the other hand, the civil bail bonds imposed on civil cases serve as surety with the court where the debts, interests, and costs imposed on the defendant can be taken from. In this form of surety, there is guarantee that debts, interests and other costs charged against the defendant will be settled.

A Bail Bondsman Is Your Link to Freedom

You will want the services of a bail bondsman if you want to be released as quickly as possible without having to lose your entire savings. If you don’t have enough money to bail yourself out and gain temporary liberty, your best recourse is a trusted bail bond company that will post the bail on your behalf. So if you are looking to bail someone out, your first consideration should be to find a bondsman in your city. If you fail to show up in court, the court will forfeit the bail bond posted by the company. You can just call a bail agent who will offer you a deal and ask you to provide the required information about yourself, or somebody you want to bail out.

Now, remember that court proceedings can be quite messy, and because of this, you will benefit greatly from the assistance of a bonding company. All you have to do is to connect with a bail agent and provide the information needed, and just like that, the company will post the bail. If you had remained in jail for failure to post a bail bond, you would have appeared in court in a jail jumpsuit—and that’s not a pretty sight to see. With your consent, the bonding company will then post the bail on your behalf, releasing you from police custody. Third, because of their familiarity with the process, you can be out of jail in a matter of hours instead of days.

In nearly all states, the amount collected by the bonds agent is usually 10-20% of the total bail amount. This is non-refundable.

It's more convenient to hire their services rather than deal with the court on your own. For added convenience, they are also located near the courthouse so you can just walk in their office and state your intention.

How Does the Bail Bonds Process Work?

To start the bail bonds process, you first need to find a bail agent. You or your representative can deal with the bail bondsman who will ask you basic questions such as the defendant's name, date of birth, and the location or city of the arrest. You can visit the office of the bail agent, you can set a schedule over the phone or even complete the transaction online.

Time matters greatly in this case. As soon as the bail agent has clarified your concerns, the bail agent will proceed with the requirements in order to release your loved one at the earliest possible time. It's now the agent's turn to ask you questions and they include the name of the suspect, date of birth as well as the time and location of the arrest.

Always make sure to provide the bail bondsman with accurate information of the defendant’s name, date of birth, and the place or the city where the arrest happened. With this information, the agent will be able to gather additional information from the jail system needed to secure the release.

When the defendant flees or “jumps bail,” the court will forfeit the bond and then issue an arrest warrant.

Things to Share to a Bail Bondsman

When you contact a bonding company, you have to share these details:

• Your full name if you are the defendant
• The name and location of the jail where the defendant is detained
• The booking number in the police blotter
• The charges made against the defendant
• Any other related information

What Does a Bondsman Accept as Collateral?

In most cases, the bail bondsman will require collateral in the transaction. But of course bail bond companies will not shell out money on your behalf without a guarantee that they will be paid back.

Basically, if the bondsman considers it valuable then you can hand it over in return for the loan. They will require collateral in the form of your assets such as:

• Bank accounts
• Real estate
• Stocks
• Credit cards
• Personal credit
• Jewelry
• Cars
• Bonds

You can also avail of the payment options offered by the bail bonds agents. They also take into consideration your financial difficulties.

Yes, the bail bonds process can be overwhelming, especially if it is your first time and you have absolutely no idea how it works. Most of them operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all the more to help your loved one to spend the least amount of time in jail as possible. That will greatly help ease up the burden as you fight for your life. Our website has an extensive list of bail bondsmen in St. Petersburg.