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Being arrested or having a friend or family member arrested is a stressful and unnerving experience. The arrested person may have to stay in jail for an extended amount of time while awaiting trial. In the United States, a judge can set a bail amount for the suspect to pay to be released from jail while awaiting court dates. These... more »
Whether or not you've ever had to post bail for someone, you've probably heard the term "bail bond." A bail bond is money paid to the court once a suspect is released from jail and serves as a form of insurance to make sure the suspect returns for his or her trial. But what exactly is a secured bail bond and how does it work? more »
If you've recently posted bail for someone, you're probably wondering when you'll be getting your money back. When you originally posted bail, you were given two options for payment: you could either pay the fee directly to the court or use the services of a bail bondsman. When and how you will get your money back is dependent upon... more »
Even if you've never had to purchase a bail bond, you probably know what it is. In simple terms, it's a type of insurance--usually in the form of money or property--paid to the court when a suspect is released from jail in order to ensure that he will return for the trial. Although most people will probably never have to post bail for... more »
Bail is an amount of money that the court charges criminal defendants to be released from jail until their court date as an incentive to appear in court at a scheduled date, at which time the bail money is refunded. Sometimes the bail is too high for the defendant to pay, so they need a bail bondsman, who is a person or company that... more »
Being a bail bonds agent, sometimes called a recovery agent, is an exciting and rewarding career path to take. Part of law enforcement, a bail... more »
Bail bonds are used to get someone out of jail while the individual awaits trial. A preliminary hearing will take place in which he may plead... more »
You've seen it on TV a thousand times--someone runs afoul of the law, gets thrown in the joint, and his lawyer has to bail him out. But what... more »
Becoming a bounty hunter is a difficult but rewarding career choice. In the state of Washington, you will be required to not only gain licensure... more »
Getting arrested means that you will, more than likely, have to stand in front of a judge to have your charges formally recorded. During this... more »
A bail bond agent, or bondsman, is any person or corporation which will act as a surety and pledge money or property as bail for the appearance of a criminal defendant in court. Although banks, insurance companies and other similar institutions are usually the sureties on other types of contracts, for example, to bond a contractor who is under a contractual obligation to pay for the completion of a construction project, such entities are reluctant to put their depositors or policyholders funds at the kind of risk involved in posting a bail bond. Bail bond agents, on the other hand, are usually in the business to cater to criminal defendants, often securing their customers release in just a few hours.
Bail bond agents are almost exclusively found in the United States. In most other countries bail is usually more modest and the practice of bounty hunting is illegal.
History
The first modern bail bonds business in the United States, the system by which a person pays a percentage of the court specified bail amount to a professional bonds agent who puts up the cash as a guarantee that the person will appear in court, was established by Tom and Peter P. McDonough in San Francisco in 1898.
Modern practice
Bond agents have a standing security agreement with local court officials, in which they agree to post an irrevocable "blanket" bond, which will pay the court if any defendant for whom the bond agent is responsible does not appear. The bond agent usually has an arrangement with an insurance company, bank or another credit provider to draw on such security, even during hours when the bank is not operating. This eliminates the need for the bondsman to deposit cash or property with the court every time a new defendant is bailed out.
Bond agents generally charge a fee of 10-12% of the total amount of the bail required in order to post a bond for the amount. This fee is not refundable and represents the bond agents compensation fo read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bail+bondsman
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