In case you’re facing the dreadful phase of being accused of a crime for which you need to stand trial—there are a few things you need to know before you file for bail.
Here are the differences between a surety bond and bail so you could choose the bailing procedure best suited for you.
What Is A Bail Bond?
The court requires for the defendant to be in custody after they’ve been accused of a crime till their case is settled. However, the court allows you to fight your case from outside the jail by opting for bail.
Bail is an amount set by the court for the release of a defendant from jail. The court sets this amount as a surety that the defendant will return for their scheduled trials. Cash bonds or bails require that the full amount of bail money is paid to the court. This bail money is an incentive to ensure the appearance of the defendant in court trials. Once all trials are completed, this bail money is returned to the defendant. However, if the defendant fails to appear in their trials, the entire bail amount is forfeited by the court.
What Are Surety Bonds?
In case the bail money is too much for a defendant to pay, they can hire bail agencies to pay for them through surety bonds. The bail agent acts as surety, who guarantees that the defendant attends all their trials.
In case of absence of the defendant from their hearings, the bail bondsman can file an arrest warrant against them. The court also allows bonds agencies to hire bounty hunters to locate the defendant. If the defendant is not tracked within the prescribed period, the bail amount is forfeited.
Bails Vs Surety Bonds
The difference between bail and surety bonds is that bail involving cash bonds only require the involvement of two parties—the defendant and the court. Surety bonds however, require the involvement of three parties in the bailing process—the court, the defendant and the bail agent.
While cash bonds are simple procedures, they require hefty amounts of money to be paid by the defendant. Most people can’t afford to pay the entire bail money themselves and therefore opt for bail agents for the job.
We at DeLaughter Bail Bonds are committed to making the bail process easier for you and providing you with top-quality bail bond services in North Manchester, IN. Reach out to us today for our support and we’ll get started on your case promptly.