When you’re accused of a crime and subsequently arrested, there is a process that takes place. The police officer will read you your rights, you will be processed, which will include having your fingerprints taken and photographs, and then you will be arraigned. An arraignment is a process in which the prosecutor tells the judge why you were arrested and what he or she thinks your bail should be. Your attorney will make sure the bail is reasonable and will contest anything that isn’t right. Once the bail is set, you are able to go home if you are able to post bail.
However, in many cases, Bail in Polk County will be set at $10,000 or more. For the average person, this could be an amount that is out of reach, to say the least. When bail is set at such a high amount, the average person will need to see a bail bondsman to post pail. A bail bondsman will put up the money for your bail, providing you can present appropriate collateral and pay their fee.
In many cases, it is with the help of a family member that you’re able to post bail. In most situations, you can’t post bail from your jail cell, and you can’t make arrangements for bail via the phone. Whoever is responsible for meeting with the bail service will have to provide collateral. The higher the bail, the more collateral will have to be provided. Collateral can be anything from a title to a car, a piece of art to an entire house. It’s important to understand that whoever helps post your bail is taking a risk and is assuming that you’re not going to skip out on your hearing.
There is also a fee that has to be paid. This fee is how the bail service makes their money. When you post bail and then show up for court, the bail service gets their money back, no harm no foul, but they don’t provide their services for free. A typical fee is 10% of the value of the bail. So, if your bail is $10,000, then the fee will be $1,000.
If you’re looking for a bail service in Polk County, check out Bond James Bond, Inc. They are more than just a clever name, they are a premier bail bonds service in the area.
