As most of us already know, a bail bond refers to the money or property a defendant or representative deposits with the court as a guarantee that they will return to court to attend a trial. A bail bond is forfeited in the court’s favor if the defendant flees or fails to return to court to face trial.
If a loved one is arrested, the first thing you want to do is get them out of jail as soon as possible. One way to make it happen is to post bail for their temporary release. If it’s your first time to post bail or you don’t have enough money to pay the bail amount in cash, you can apply for a bail bond with a bondsman in Greeley Colorado.
To obtain a bail bond follow step by step process:
1. Find out if your loved one is detained.
Even if you know that your loved one has been arrested, you still need to find out where they are detained as well as the details of the arrest . Next, either a bail amount will already be set for the offense, or the defendant will need to wait for two to four days for the bail hearing.
2. Know the bail amount.
If the county or jurisdiction doesn’t have a bail schedule for common offenses, a judge is usually the one who sets the bail during the defendant’s first court appearance. In most cases, the bail amount will be set high on purpose to discourage the defendant from fleeing or avoiding trial. Furthermore, a judge is also authorized to deny bail if he believes that the defendant is a flight risk, unwilling to return to court for trial, or a danger to the community.
During the bail hearing a judge is authorized to release a detainee based on his own cognizance especially if it’s their first offense and if the judge believes that the suspect is not a flight risk. This only requires the defendant to sign a contract that they will attend all the hearings.
3. Obtain a list of legitimate bond companies in your locality.
This is applicable only if you decide to post bail bond instead of paying it in cash.
It’s important to find a reliable bail agency with committed bail bonds agents like Lucky Luceros.
Once you have the name of the bail agency you need:
- Call the agency or bondsman and let them know your relationship with the defendant and the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s arrest.
- The bondsman contacts the jail to obtain the defendant’s booking information.
- Set a meeting with the bondsman and start the bail process by completing important paperwork. At this stage, you must make sure to establish proper identification by bringing your driver’s license or other identification.
- The bail bondsman posts the bail bond.
4. Pay the bondsman his premium.
It is usually 10% of the bail amount. Remember that this is non-refundable as it is what the bail agency earns for their work and for being a surety to you.
5. Make sure that your loved one shows up for court
Once the bail bond is posted and your loved one is approved for release, you must see to it that they attend every hearing the court has scheduled. If they fail to attend any of the court dates, the court will forfeit your bail bond and your bail bondsman will have your loved one rearrested and sent back to jail.
If by a sudden twist of fate someone you love gets arrested in Colorado, be sure to seek the help of a professional bail bondsman in Greeley.
Call Lucky Lucero’s Bail Bonds anytime for your bail concerns. We are your authority in the bail bond business.