Get Your Friend out of Jail: Five Types of Bail Bonds for Your Consideration

When a friend or a loved one goes to jail, it is natural to feel afraid, confused and lost. You must know that US law gives the right to post bail for almost all accused after his or her booking. However, finding the right bail bonds agency can be tricky since Ohio regulates the bail bonds industry quite strictly. No bail guarantor can approach someone in court premises to initiate a business or give out business cards to garner new clients.

Therefore, it is the onus of the clients to find the bail bondsmen in Ohio and not the other way around. Once you find yourself or a loved one in jail, you can opt for any of the five proven types of bail bonds.

1- Own recognizance (OR)

When the offender or accused is a minor, it is easy to convince the judge to release them on OR. Appointing an experienced and smart attorney with knowledge of juvenile crime can help you post OR for someone. Any adult can also opt for OR, if he or she has no history of violent criminal record, or if he or she is a first-time offender. To improve your chances of not paying an exuberant amount, you should hire a criminal attorney to argue in your favor during the bail hearing.

2- Surety bond

A surety bond is the typical bail bond that the arrested person can post with the help of a professional bail bondsman. The latter takes 10% of the total bond amount as his or her fee. This amount is non-refundable since the bail bondsman guarantees the rest 90% in the event the accused skips the court hearing. Check out Castle 24 Hour Bonds Dayton Ohio for more details on the process.

3- Appearance bond

The 10% cash bond is popular among defendants, who are unable to pay the entire amount. This bond does not involve a bail bondsman. After the accused shows up for his or her court dates, the court returns 90% of the amount.

4- Cash bond

When the defendant can pay the entire amount, he or she usually goes for cash bonds. In that case, he or she does not have to work with bail bonds companies like Tustin Bail Bonds for posting bail. One of the prime advantages of this process is that the defendant or the family gets almost the entire amount back once he or she shows up in court. It is typically favorable for those facing small misdemeanor charges with no history of crimes.

5- Property bond

The riskiest form of a bail bond is the property bond. When the judge sets an exorbitantly high bail amount, the defendant might have to put his or her home or automobile on the line as a guarantee for his or her return. The defendant typically uses the property as collateral. To qualify, the property has to be 1.5-times the bail amount. Upon missing the date, the property can face foreclosure or go on escrow.

Before you decide which type of bond is ideal for your situation, be sure to contact your nearest bail bonds company in Ohio for advice. Talking to a legal professional always helps in making the right decisions that can get your loved ones out of lockup fast.