Uncle Bob might have had a little too much to drink during Happy Hour and gotten behind the wheel. Suddenly, you get a phone call late at night that he is in jail and needs to be bailed out for a DWI. Learn how to bail someone out of jail.
Bail Bondsmen
Your family members can be arrested for any number of reasons. Fortunately, they are innocent until proven guilty. You should remember that during the entire process.
When your family member arrives at jail, there will be a quick assessment of how much his bond should be. The government will look at what his charges are and if he has any priors. They will also consider if Uncle Bob is a flight risk.
These considerations are usually made quickly, even when court is not in session. The first step is for the government to “set bail.” This is when they determine how much Uncle Bob should pay to be bailed out of jail.
Bondsmen Near Jail
Cash bonds can be used to bail most people out of jail. You can call the bondsmen and identify the jail where the incarcerated individual is being held.
Most bail bondsmen can be found a couple of blocks away from the main jailhouse. They usually have flashing neon lights displaying their phone numbers – these can be viewed from the jailhouse windows.
The bondsmen will know what amount the bail bond is. The family member must pay the bail bondsmen 10% of the bail bond. Then, the bondsmen will go to the jail to have Uncle Bob released.
Some inmates can only be released using a cash bond. This means that they cannot use the services of a bail bondsmen.
Court Hearings
Bailing someone out of jail includes the promise that Uncle Bob will make all of his court hearings. If he does so, then the family member can get the money back that he posted for the bond. If not, the money is forfeited to the bail bondsmen and a bench warrant might be issued for Uncle Bob’s arrest.
Bench Warrant
If you don’t bail out Uncle Bob, then he will be forced to sit in jail during the entire court process. Unfortunately, court schedules are full and it might take months to even get a court date. Bailing someone out of jail is the normal process.
That way Uncle Bob can keep working. He is innocent until proven guilty. He really doesn’t need to stew in jail. He might win his trial and be exonerated of any wrong-doing.
If he does not appear at all court hearings, then the bench warrant might be issued because he is in contempt of court. He is not respecting the judicial process or fulfilling the conditions of his release. Unfortunately, bench warrants do not expire and he could be arrested at any time due to his failure to appear in court.
Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!