Sacramento Bail Bonds
Sacramento, CA
1-855-510-BAIL
Lately I have been receiving a lot of calls from people who are unfamiliar with bail bonds and the bail bonds process. So I am going to take some time to explain bail bonds as thoroughly as I can. Hopefully this will help you in choosing a Sacramento Bail Bonds.
First off, let's start with what are bail bonds?
When someone is arrested and not released on O.R.(own return) they are granted bail. Usually there are only a few reasons why someone will be denied bail(Immigration hold, threat to the public safety, or accused of capital offense). But don't get confused, a judge may deny the right to bail for other reasons as well. Bail is given as a way to ensure a defendants appearance in court after release. A defendant is given what is called a penal sum, this is full amount of bail due in order for the defendants release. In most cases defendants and their families can not afford the penal sum as it is usually a large amount of money. This is where bail bonds comes in. A Sacramento Bail Bonds company will post the penal sum and guarantee the defendants appearance for a fee. In California the fee is set by the Department of Insurance and is 10% of penal sum no more or less(we will get further into this later). Unless, you have hired a private attorney to represent the defendant then the fee CAN BE lowered to 8%.
I already know what you are thinking. 10% of $50,000 is still a lot of money to come up with! This is why a few Sacramento Bail Bonds like us offer payment plans. Usually these will require a reasonable portion to be submitted as a down payment and enough collateral to secure the payments and the bond. Keep in mind, the larger the down payment the less collateral you are likely to have to give.
What do you mean collateral?
In bail bonds this term is well known but a majority of the public does not understand what is means to give collateral. First, let me say that when we ask for real estate or vehicles as collateral we DO NOT come take the vehicles or property. Many of people I have spoke to assumed we would do just that. For real estate a temporary lien is placed on the property and for vehicles we hold on to the pink slip. Collateral is used as a means of leverage and payment(if the deal goes sour). For instance, if you bail out your son and he runs, you are much more likely to tell us where he is if your home or car is on the line. Almost anything of significant value can be used as collateral(jewelry, gold, watches, collectibles, antiques, ect.) but most of these items will need to be left in the possession of the bondsmen until the court case is finished. Don't worry, your possessions are safe. California bail professionals are required by law to handle everything including collateral at a fiduciary capacity. Also keep in mind, the more collateral you offer the better payment plan you will likely be given. Look at it from a bail bondsman's view. We(bail bondsman) are going to put ourselves on the line for $50,000 for your $5,000. Most bail agents have their house as collateral with the company they work for. When a defendant does not appear, their home is in jeopardy as well.
I've noticed lately a lot of people are trying to shop for prices from different Sacramento Bail Bonds. The reality is your always going to pay the same price. And if you manage to find a Sacramento Bail Bonds with a price under 10% you should be concerned because it is highly illegal. What about getting the bail lowered? Sometimes this is effective but please for your sake do it with caution. In the past week I personally worked 3 cases where the defendants requested a lower bail amount and the judge in return denied their bail. Now they are stuck in jail without the chance to bond out. I always recommend posting bail as soon as possible to avoid the roll of the dice in court.
