What Impacts The Cost Of Your Bail?
If you get arrested, you will probably be interested in finding out how much your bail is as soon as possible. After all, posting bail is how you can get out of jail until your court date. Bail amounts will vary based on several factors. For example, these are some of the different things that impact the cost of bail.
The Crimes You're Being Charged With
First of all, you should know that one of the main things that impact the cost of your bail is the specific list of crimes that you are being charged with. As you can probably imagine, less serious offenses typically come with a lower bond amount. More serious crimes will typically warrant a higher bail. In some cases, with really serious charges, a defendant might not be granted bail at all.
Your Previous Criminal Record
Someone who has been in a lot of legal trouble in the past will typically be given a higher bond amount. Additionally, someone who has been in trouble for certain charges, such as failing to appear in court, might also be given a higher bond amount as well.
Your Community Ties
In some cases, when determining whether or not to grant bail for someone, and when determining how much the bail should be, a magistrate or judge will look into things like whether or not the defendant has ties to the community. For example, someone who lives in another state and is only passing through a city or county might not be as likely to return and go to court as someone who owns a home, runs a business, and has a family in that city or county.
The Bail Bondsman You Work With
Lastly, the bail bondsman you work with will also impact the cost of your bail. After all, if you use a bail bondsman, you will not actually have to pay the bail. Instead, you will be paying a fee to your bail bondsman. Typically, though, this fee is an actual percentage of your bail amount. Some bail bondsmen charge higher percentages than others, although many states have limits as to how much a bail bondsman can charge. You should definitely ask about the percentage that a bail bondsman charges when you are looking for someone who can help you get out of jail by posting the bond for you.
As you can see, there are a few things that can impact the cost of bail. You may want to work with a bail bondsman if you find yourself facing criminal charges since they can explain things to you and help you get out of jail as quickly as possible. Contact a local bail bond service to learn more.