When a person is arrested, unless the crime is of heinous proportions, he or she will be given the opportunity of paying bail to be released from jail. Bail is an amount of money paid to the court in order to leave custody and return for trial. The amount of the bail set is an attempt by the court to ensure the accused returns for trial.
For minor offenses the amount is set low and the defendant can usually arrange to pay the amount in cash without any assistance. For more serious offenses, the judge will set bail based on the offense and the background of the accused. If the accused has a previous record this will be reflected in the bail amount. Often the amount is greater than the accused can pay by himself, so he turns to Bailbonds in Norman OK. A bail bond is a useful tool to ensure a person of his temporary liberty. A bail bond is a surety that is given by the bondsman, backed by insurance and bought by the accused at a premium of 10% of the bond face value.
Bailbonds in Norman OK are terminated when the accused show up in court as instructed. If the bail was paid by the accused in cash, the cash is returned. In the case of a bail bond, the fee is kept by the bondsman.
The severity of the crime is often the determining factor in setting bail. A minor crime or misdemeanor will usually call for bail from schedule that applies to the crime. In more serious instances, a bail hearing is coupled with an arraignment when the judge hears the charges read and the accused enters a plea. In an attempt to get the accused to return for trial, the bail is set accordingly. When the bail amount is set well beyond the means of the accused to pay it, then bailbonds in Norman OK are called in to cover it. Usually the amount is set low enough to make paying it worthwhile to avoid lingering in jail, but high enough so the accused wants to get it back.
The bondsman will help if the accused cannot raise the bail himself. The individual may be in a position to raise a percentage himself; he will ask the bondsman to cover the balance. In this event, both bail and surety bonds are used to cover the full amount set by the court.
Bailbonds Norman OK are available 24 hours a day, every day. When a person is released on bail, he can at least continue working and providing for his family and he can better prepare for the pending trial. Bail bonds are also a tool that is used to reduce overcrowding in the jails and detention facilities.
