If you have ever been arrested or have had to help someone who has been arrested then you are familiar with what a bail bondsman does. A bail bondsman or bail bondsperson is an agency or any person that pledges money or property as bail for the appearance of the defendant in court.
Did you know that there are different types of bail bonds? You probably didn’t and that’s okay. In this guide, we will explain what type of bail bonds there are and what they are used for.
Types of Bail Bonds
Getting arrested and being in police custody is a stressful situation not to mention a complicated one to get yourself or a loved one out of custody. To help you understand the different types of bonds we have outlined each one and what they mean below. Let’s get started.
Cash Bail
Cash bail is just that. It is paying bail in cash. You should know that you can pay almost any bail with cash as long as you have access to the funds. You can also pay by cashier’s check or even credit cards. Depending on the person and the crime bail could be set extremely high if there is a concern the person could be a flight risk. Setting the bail sky-high may be impossible to make.
Citation Release
This type of bail works as follows. The person does not get taken into custody. They are giving a citation that instructs and orders the person to appear in court before a judge on a specific date and time. These are giving during traffic violations or other minor crimes.
Federal Bail Bond
Commit a federal crime and the only bail bond that could be used in this type of crime would be that of a federal bail bond. The difference to other bonds, except for property bonds is the actual transaction is done with the courts directly. Both property and cash can be used for bail.
Property Bond
This is where the entire property is used as collateral. Also, it is worth noting that not all states accept a property bond. There are some issues when using a property bond like time. These are not quick bonds to get. The property would need to be assessed for its true value and the courts would need to agree upon everything.
Recognizance Release
These are at the top of the list in terms of ease to get. All that is required is a promise on the part of the person that will appear in court and in front of the judge on a certain date. Even though no money is needed if the person does not show for the court a fine for no shows will happen. Again this is at the discretion of the arresting officer at the time the person is being held as to if the officer would be willing to provide a recognizance release.
Surety Bond
When using a bail bondsman and you do not have any cash they will offer a surety bond. You pay 10% of the bail amount to the bondsman and also promise to show up to court when you need to. So in short. Someone you know pays 10% to the bondsman and they post the bail-in order for you to be released.
Immigration Bail Bond
If someone you know has been arrested and held for immigration reasons then you need to obtain an immigration bail bond to release them. There are two different types of immigration bail bonds.
Delivery bond: If an illegal immigrant was detained by an agent he or she may be eligible for the Delivery bond. The entire purpose of the Delivery bond is that the immigration hearings are not missed by the person in question.
Voluntary Departure Bond: This is where a person is giving the option to voluntarily leave the country at their expense during a time that is specified. If he or she does leave then this bond is refundable on the person leaves the country.
The above shows the Different Types of Bail Bonds and what their main purpose is used for. If you or someone you know gets arrested and needs a bail bondsman then you should call a few in your area to see what they say. it may also be wise to hire a professional criminal attorney if possible. They can always help in navigating the criminal courts much easier than you.
