The Process of Using Bail Bonds

Having knowledge about how the bail bond system works can not only better prepare you for what to expect, it can also eliminate the stress that comes with discovering someone close to you has been arrested. Continue reading to learn how bail bonds work, and which company to trust for prompt and professional services.

Noblesville Bail Bonds 317-919-2489
Noblesville Bail Bonds 317-919-2489

The Standard Bail Bond Process

As soon as a person is arrested, they are taken to the nearest county jail. So if someone were arrested in Noblesville, Indiana, they would be detained at the Hamilton County jail. Once a person is transferred to the jail, they are placed in a holding cell that looks much like the jail cells you’ve probably seen on television. These holding cells are generally located directly in the booking and processing room. Booking and processing are terms that refer to the process of getting an defendant’s fingerprints, mug shots, personal information, and more, and then entering all these records into the jail’s database system. 

An arrested person will wait in their holding cell until jail staff can get to them and begin their booking and processing. This can take anywhere from a couple of hours, to an entire day or more; depending on how busy the jail is, the number of staff working, and whether or not an arrested person is intoxicated. If intoxicated, jail staff cannot begin the booking process until the arrestee is entirely sober. This usually means they won’t even check on them for at least 8 hours. Once they are sober, they can be booked and processed.

Now once a person has been booked and processed, they are eligible for bail. They can either call a local bail bond company for immediate assistance and service, or they can call a friend or family member and have them call a bail bondsman. They can forgo both these options and pay their bond in cash, but this is rare considering not many people have this amount of cash on hand. If a person does choose to pay their entire bond amount in cash, a total that can be upwards of 10,000 or more, they will be released from jail and their payment will be returned when they appear for their scheduled court hearing.

Bail Bond Prices and Payments

When a person calls a bail bond company, they are making a good choice. This is the easiest and most secure way to obtain a release from jail for yourself or another person. A bail bond company pays the entire bond amount, in exchange for a small non-refundable fee. This fee is mandated by law, so no other bail bond company charges more or less for their services. Bail bond prices are figured by calculating ten or fifteen percent of the person’s total bond amount. So, if a person’s bond amount was 10,000 dollars, a bail bondsman will ask for a non-refundable fee of 1,000 to 1,500 dollars for his services.

In addition to this fee, the person bailing a friend  or loved one out of jail with a bail bond will be obligated to sign a contract stating they are responsible for paying the remainder of the defendant’s bond amount if the defendant fails to appear for court. If the person you bail out of jail with a bail bond doesn’t show up for their schedule court date, you are legally responsible for paying the bail agent the remainder of their bond.

This is because the bail bond company forfeits the monies they put up for the defendant’s release, with the expectation that they will receive that money back when the person shows up for court. So, if they don’t show, the bail agent doesn’t get their money back, but they do have a binding agreement with the person who signed for the bail bond saying they are legally responsible for paying the bail agent back.

Fast and Friendly Bail Bonds in Indianapolis, Indiana

Call Uptown Bail Bonds at 317-919-2489 for fast and friendly, bail bond services in Hamilton County, Indiana. We offer 24 hour bail bonds, county and state bonding, free jail and inmate information, and we serve several other areas, including Madison County, Marion County, Boone County, and more. Request a free estimate, anytime!