4 Him Bail Bonds understands that there are a lot of questions when it comes to bail. We pride ourselves in educating our clients and helping them better understand the way the system works.
There are a lot of complicated pieces that move within the justice system and bail is one of them. We have put together some of our most asked questions to help you better understand how the bail system works in Calhoun County, Alabama.
If you still have questions we encourage you to call us and speak to an agent to make sure you have the answers you are looking for.
When a person is arrested they are brought to the jail and booked in. A judge will review the charges and assign a bail bond amount for a defendant to secure release. The bond amount is determine by a number of factors including the severity of the charges, the dangerousness of the person accused, and prior criminal history.
As a general rule most bonding companies charge 10% of the face value of the bail bond. If the bond is very high 4 Him Bonding will work with clients to secure release and have a payment plan in place in order to pay off the bond fees.
4 Him Bonding does offer payment plans based on individual requests. If you need to make payments instead of a full payment just talk to one of our agents.
When a payment plan is considered, collateral may be required until the bond fees are paid in full.
Collateral is not always a requirement. If a payment plan is needed we will often need some type of collateral that will be returned when the bond fees have been paid in full.
When someone is arrested they are either charged with a misdemeanor or a felony. A misdemeanor is a crime that may have fines assessed and does not carry more than one year of jail time. A felony charge is more serious and could result in fines and a sentence to a state prison for a year or more and possibly death.
If you are a cosigner on a bail bond you are responsible for the full bail amount if the defendant violates the bail agreement. By cosigning you are letting us know that you trust the defendant and believe he/she is going to attend court dates. If the defendant fails to appear both the defendant and the cosigner are responsible for any costs incurred by the bonding company to correct the problem.
The bond fees are not refundable. An example as to why is like auto insurance. When you pay your insurance premium they insurance company does not refund it if you are not in a car crash. The premium belongs to the insurance company for taking the risk.
If there is collateral or additional cash given (over the bond fee) that money or collateral will be returned when the bond is closed with the courts.
A bail bond is complete when the court disposes the case. A case disposition could be a guilty plea, guilty by jury/judge, not guilty, or dismissed for lack of evidence.
I any case a judge will sign a final disposition when the case comes to an end. It is only when that disposition is issued by the court that the bond is closed.