Written By: Nick Chaiyapin
Bail bond is also called a “Surety Bond”. The system is designed to assure the appearance of a criminal defendant in court. The process of bail bond system is simple. Basically, a family, friend, or attorney of the defendant will contact bail bond agent, initially by phone. Bail bond representative will gather basic information about the defendant’s situation, such as what are charges, where a criminal defendant being held, etc. Bail bond representative will determine the risk of the bail. If the criminal defendant decides to buy a bail bond, the bail agent will get a percentage of the amount decided by the judge. The criminal defendant will need to sign documents such as a Bail Indemnity Agreement and a Bail Bond Application. After the contract is signed, the bail agent will post a bond to assure that the defendant will return to court.
In many cases, bail bond company may require the defendant to arrange for a collateral. If the defendant can not provide collateral, co-signer will usually be required to have a steady income. If the bail agent can not locate the defendant, the cosigner will be immediately responsible for the full amount of the bond.
Sometimes the defendant may not be able to pay for entire amount of bail. Depending on the situation, the judge may allow the defendant to pay a percentage directly to the court. However, this only happens in rare situation.
It is important for the co-signer to know where the defendant is at all time, because co-signer’s collateral is at risk.
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