bail bond

A felony arrest can shake up a person’s life completely, and most of them are left in confusion, stress, and uncertainty. The judicial system is so complex, especially during a serious issue such as an arrest for a felony; hence, with knowledge of your rights and alternatives, you can gain your release from jail. In Pasadena, Texas, bail bonds help to make it possible for individuals to gain their freedom while the case is being tried. Pasadena Texas Bail Bonds can be a way for defendants to receive their freedom, and gain a much earlier date to appear in court to pursue a defense that would otherwise have to sit out considerable time in a jail cell. This tutorial will cover information on how bail bonds work, types of bail bonds, and everything you want to know to secure your release when one is charged with a felony.

What are Bail Bonds?

Understanding Bail

Bail is a financial guarantee given so that a defendant can be free to get out of jail while awaiting a case to come up for trial. Bail has been described as a pledge that the defendant will appear in court when scheduled. In case the defendant obeys court calls or complies with appearances in court, the bail is returned; however in case the defendant fails to appear before the court, they stand the risk of losing their bail and other consequences that accompany failure to appear in court.

Bail Bond Services

If the defendant does not have enough money to pay the full bail, Pasadena Texas Bail Bonds can assist. A bail bond agent, also known as a bondsman, makes a surety bond to the court. The defendant promises to be present in court according to the court’s schedule. To get the service, a bail bond agent charges a non-refundable fee from the defendant or co-signer. In most cases, the fee is at around 10 to 15 percent of the total bail amount.

With a bail bond service, offenders who are unable to come up with large sums of money can get out of jail, return home to their families, and prepare for court dates without the additional financial burden of posting full bail.

Bail bonds services concept. Judge gavel on wooden background.

Felony Charges and Bail

What is a Felony?

Felonies are those serious crimes whose punishment is more significant than the prosecution attached to the misdemeanors. In the state of Texas, felonies are categorized into different grades. State jail felonies are considered to be the least serious, while first-degree felonies are the most serious. Aggravated assault, burglary, and drug trafficking are some examples of felony charges. These charges have an impact on the amount of bail and the requirements that must be fulfilled for release.

How Bail Is Set for Felonies

If a person commits a felony offense after being arrested, the court will impose bail based on several considerations, which depend on how serious the crime is, the criminal history of the defendant, and the possibility that he or she may attend to see the case through to its end. Generally, the bail amounts on felony charges are much higher than the amounts on misdemeanor offenses due to the seriousness of their crimes.

In very few cases, the court may even refuse the bail considering the grounds that the accused poses a threat to public safety or will try running away. In case the bail is granted, the defendant may either opt to pay the full sum or seek assistance from Pasadena Texas Bail Bonds.

Types of Bail Bonds in Pasadena, Texas

The first step to finding the right bail bond to utilize following a felony arrest is to know what each kind is. Based on the type of felony offense or circumstance you’re facing, one bond will have been a better fit for you than the other.

1. Surety Bonds

The most common type of bond applied in cases of felony is a surety bond. A contract, in this case, involves three parties-the defendant or co-signer, the bail bond agent, and the court. This agent provides the surety bond to the court as a guarantee of their appearance at a future date.

The bail bond agent will advance the full bail amount for the defendant. For this, the defendant or the co-signer will pay a percent of the bail amount to them. When a defendant fails to appear in court, the bond agent may have to refund the entire money to the court and may seek the defendant to collect the balance.

2. Cash Bonds

In this case, a cash bond is paid directly to the court in the entire amount of bail by the defendant or member of his family. The individual is guaranteed a direct release but upon enormous inputs required at the outset, something most of the defendants lack.

The amount is returned in its entirety, minus fees and fines charged by the court, toward the end of the case and after the defendant has made all his appearances in court.

Judge gavel, dollars and wooden house on black smokey table

3. Property Bonds

At other times, the defendant can also make use of a property bond in order to secure his or her release. In this case, the defendant or his co-signer will use real estate or any other valuable assets as collateral for that bail amount. This often comes in handy when cash or liquid assets are not readily available; however, if the defendant misses the court date, the court will take away his or her property that he used as collateral.

4. Personal Recognizance (PR) Bonds

Some judges require defendants to make personal recognizance bonds, especially those who possess little threat to society or strong ties within the community. This is when a defendant is released pending the resolution of their case without paying the bail money, depending entirely on the defendant’s promise to appear before the court. This usually occurs very rarely in felonies because of the severity of the charges involved.

5. Federal Bonds

It’s also important to note that if a person is being charged at the federal level, it may require a federal bond; a federal bond works much the same as any type of bond but often involves complicated rules. Federal bonds typically have more stringent stipulations and only certain bail bond agents, who must be authorized to handle federal cases, can do so.

The Process of Securing Bail in Pasadena, Texas

If you or a family member is arrested on a felony charge in Pasadena, Texas, knowing how to obtain bail can prove to be very important to the process. Here are the steps followed:

1. Arrest and Booking

During the arrest process, the defendant is recorded by a procedure known as booking. Here, his person’s details and fingerprint are put on record alongside the charges. The case will be seen by the judge in the subsequent stage, who determines the bail in line with the type of felony charge and the suspect’s past among other factors.

2. Bail Bond Agent Contact

Once the bail amount is determined, the defendant or a family member or friend will contact a Pasadena Texas Bail Bonds representative to seek assistance. The representative shall obtain data about the history of the arrest together with the entire background information about the defendant along with the amount of bail.

3. Signing the Bail Agreement

If the bail bond agent is willing to post bail, either the defendant or a cosigner will be expected to sign a bail agreement. The contract, known as bail, sets out the conditions of the bond; in particular, the fee associated with the bail bond, what the defendant is expected to do, and what collateral may be required.

4. Posting Bail and Release

Once the bail bond agent posts bail, this sets the defendant free from custody. To avoid going into remand for forfeiting bail, the defendant should adhere to all court appearances and conditions of their release.

5. Preparing for Court

While the defendant is waiting for the date of the trial with the help of the solicitor assigned, he/she must prepare his defense and look forward to attending the court and fulfilling all other demands of the legal system to successfully stay away from jail through bail.

The hand that holds the hammer and piles of money written with white chalk, draw concept.

Responsibilities of the Defendant and Co-Signer

Bail bond brings about some heavy liabilities for both the defendant as well as for the co-signer once a felon gets behind bars.

1. Compliance with Court Requirements

The defendant is obligated to attend all scheduled court appearances. Missing a court date or failing to comply with other legal conditions can lead to bail forfeiture, meaning the defendant will be taken back into custody, and the co-signer may be held financially liable.

2. Co-signer Financial Liability

An individual signing a bail bond agreement accepts the responsibility of paying the bail balance if the defendant is unable to meet any of the demands assigned by their court obligations. In short, the co-signer will need to rely on the fact that the defendant will operate by all provisions attached to the bail bonds.

Conclusion

An understanding of a few of the choices possible in securing bail after a felony arrest can make a difficult and emotionally challenging situation somewhat more manageable. Pasadena Texas Bail Bonds is very much responsible for giving bail support to such defendants and gives them a chance to secure their bail to be released before the trial while not paying the actual face value of the bail. It can be in the form of a surety bond or property bond, but having such bail bond service in the first place means that the defendant will still have a chance to prepare his or her defense and return to his family while still trying through the system. Even defendants and co-signers can ensure that everything goes pretty smoothly with the bail bond process if they stay in the know and fulfill all legal obligations on their end.

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