Bail Bonds in Tampa, FL

Bail Bonds

When a person is incarcerated and booked for a serious crime, they must wait in jail until a bail hearing. A bail hearing is a court proceeding that determines whether the crime is bailable or not, and if so, how much the bail amount is. Unless the offender can produce the required amount, or unless he or she can get assistance through a bail bondsman, he or she is not allowed to get out of jail until the court hearing. But if you don’t have any available funds, you would be forced to stay behind bars while waiting for your court hearing—a scary prospect to contemplate. 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.

Our website can link you to trustworthy and reliable bail bond agents in Tampa.

Why Does a Judge Impose a Bail Bond?

A bail bond is a mechanism that will allow the defendant to leave the custody of the police along with some preconditions set by the court. For one, they are not allowed to leave the state while the trial is ongoing.

There are two types of bail bond, namely a criminal bail bond and a civil bail bond.

A criminal bail bond comes into play in criminal cases. For instance, the judge will look at your criminal record, the severity of the crime you are accused of, whether you are a flight risk and if you can afford the bail.

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.

How Helpful Is a Bail Bond?

A bail bondsman is your quick link to freedom after your arrest. A bail bond company usually charges a non-refundable fee of 10% of the bail amount. It therefore makes it smart to look for a bondsman in your city if you need to bail a loved one out without having to spend a lot of money for his or her release. Your most immediate concern is to get yourself out of jail, and a trusted bondsman can make that happen. Then, you’re free, enjoying once more the company of your loved ones in your home.

The amount of bail will vary. You can’t get this back even if you are acquitted of the charge. On the upside, you don’t have to worry about filing the paperwork or dealing with court staff because the agent will handle all that.

Chances are, you will not want the court to form a bad opinion of you, so when you present yourself before a job, it pays a lot to look as professional as possible. When you are committed to the local or federal jail, you will be hauled to court in the official inmate’s jumpsuit. They will then post the bail in the particular court—this could be in the form of cash, check, or money order.

How do I Go About With the Bail Bond?

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. The bondsman will then offer to post the bail bond on your behalf in return for an affordable service fee.

Time matters greatly in this case. Ask all your questions and only after your doubts are quelled should you take the next step of hiring their services.

Why, because this will help the agent greatly in securing other pieces of information from the jail system which will prove necessary to get your loved one out of jail. After taking care of these preliminaries, the bondsman may now work on your jail release.

Preparing to Meet with the Bail Bondsman?

You need to have the following information handy when talking to the bonds agent.

• The defendant’s full name
• The jail, city, and county where the defendant is committed
• The defendant’s booking number
• The charges leveled against the defendant
• The amount of the bail
• Previous criminal record, if any

The Collateral That a Bondsman Can Accept

There is no need to worry if you do not have tons of cash for the services of a bail bondsman because there is another way you can “buy” your loved one’s freedom without necessarily paying in cash. This is understandable considering the risks involved.

Below are just some examples:

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

They also take into consideration your financial difficulties.

The bail bonds process does not have to sound complicated, and rest assured that there are bonding companies willing to serve your needs anytime. But this is why there are bonding companies that you can rely on to be at your beck and call, whatever time it is. He or she will welcome the opportunity to get you or your loved one out of jail. Our website has an extensive list of bail bondsmen in Tampa.