
What to Know If Your Loved One Gets Arrested
Has your loved one been arrested, or do you think they may be arrested for a potential crime? If so, you need to know about posting bail to help your loved one get out of jail sooner. To help your loved one during their time of need, check out these facts you must know after someone you love gets arrested.
Bail Money Is Usually Required
Getting your loved one out of jail usually involves paying a lot of money. In order to ensure accused criminals attend their hearings, the court usually requires a fee to be paid for release. If you do choose to pay the full amount in cash, however, make sure you have pay stubs, bank statements, and other financial documents — the court may want to know how you earned the money to ensure everything is legal. You can also use collateral or liquefy some of your assets to pay the cost of bail.
They May Qualify for O.R. Release
Sometimes, a person who gets arrested doesn’t need to post any money to be released from jail. Instead, they can simply sign a document, promising to attend their hearing and any other court dates associated with the offense. The judge will determine if your loved one qualifies to be released on their own recognizance (O.R.) based on:
- The severity of the crime
- Your loved one’s criminal record, including any missed court dates
- Your loved one’s ties to the community, such as a job, family, etc.
The judge may also impose certain rules on your loves one. For example, if the offense involved a particular weapon, such as a gun, your loved one may have to relinquish all their guns until after the hearing.
There Are Pros and Cons to Posing Bail Yourself
The biggest reason to consider posting bail yourself is because the money should be returned after the hearing. Even if your loved one is found to be guilty of the crime, the bail, asset, or collateral is returned. If they are found guilty, however, there may be additional fees and fines, which the court may take out of the bail money.
Of course, you may not have the money to post bail. Many Americans simply can’t afford the high cost of bail, and even if they can, the money may be better spent on a defense or supporting the family in their time of need. If you use your own money, you may not have enough left to pay for a great legal defense team.
What’s the Alternative to Posting Bail Yourself?
The alternative to posting bail yourself is to hire a bail bond agent, and there are many benefits of getting a bail bond agent to help with your loved one’s release. The biggest, of course, is that they provide the money, so you keep your finances free. Of course, bail bond agents aren’t free, but you only pay a small percentage of the total bail amount.
In addition, with a bail bond agent, your loved one may get out of jail sooner. The bail bond agents do all the work for you, and because they understand the complicated process, they are less likely to make mistakes. For this reason, your loved one can get out of jail sooner, so they can begin working on their defense.
Ideally, you’d want your loved one released without bail, keeping your finances safe and secure — but that isn’t always the case. At Affordable Bail Bonds, you can get the help you need to get your loved one out of jail sooner. For more information about how we can help with the bail process, contact us today.