Bail is the process of providing money to get out of jail after an arrest. When you receive bail, you are under obligation to appear in court for the trial. A bondsman provides the majority of the bail amount while charging a typical fee of ten to 15 percent of the actual bail amount. The bondsman will also require a lien against something of equal value to the remaining bail amount.
For instance, if a bail amount is set for ten thousand dollars ($10,000), you would need one thousand dollars ($1,000) in cash to obtain the bond. Then sign a lien against your home or other asset to secure the remaining nine thousand dollars ($9,000) of the bail bond. In some cases, our bail amount may be determined by a set schedule according to the offense. You are able to pay or arrange bail without seeing a judge and obtain your release from jail much faster.
The purpose of bail is to assure the attendance of the defendant, when his or her appearance is required in court, whether before or after conviction. Bail is not a means of punishing a defendant. You have a constitutional right to bail.
