How Bail Bonds Work In Oklahoma
How Do Bail Bonds In Oklahoma Actually Work?
Encountering a bail situation can be incredibly stressful, especially if you're unfamiliar with the justice system. Understanding how the bail bond process operates in areas like El Reno, Yukon, Mustang, or Canadian County, Oklahoma, can provide invaluable guidance.
If you're facing a hefty bail amount after an arrest, you might be uncertain about your options.
Questions like whether you're obligated to pay the entire sum or if you'll remain in jail if you can't afford it may be troubling you. You may also be curious about whether someone else can cover your bail or if you can enlist assistance for payment. In this guide, we'll explore strategies for navigating such situations and how seeking assistance from professionals can offer reassurance.
To begin, let's address the fundamental question: how do bail bonds function?
A bail bond serves as a form of payment facilitated by a bail bondsman or agent on behalf of the defendant. In exchange for a fee, the bondsman acts as a surety, promising to pay the full bond amount if the defendant fails to appear in court.
Now we’ve looked at the short answer as to his bail bonds work, so we now have an overview about bail bonds, let’s start with discovering exactly what bail is.
What is Bail?
Bail is a specific amount of money that acts as insurance between the court and the person who has been arrested and placed in jail, known as the defendant. They will have the option to pay their bail in cash, but it’s not often a viable option for many people.
Many defendants are financially unable to post bail as it’s generally set at a height which may be difficult to pay, which is when they may seek help from a bail agent, sometimes called a Bail Bondsman. The agent will post bail on the defendants' behalf known as a bail bond.
So, now we know how an Oklahoma Bail Bondsman can assist defendants in providing the financial assistance for their bail, let’s look a little more closely at what a bail bond is.
What is a Bail Bond?
A Bail Bond is a type of surety bond provided by a surety bsil bond company through a bail agent or Bail Bondsman that secures the release of a defendant from jail.
The bail bond is a type of surety bond. In general, this type of bond relating to commercial ventures is only available in the United States and the Philippines.
With regard to business and bail requirements, other countries will have a specific set of conditions and restrictions on the defendant in return for their release until the point of their trial.
The two types of bail bond available in the USA (and the Philippines) are as follows:
Criminal Bail Bond. This guarantees payment of any penalties or fines imposed on the defendant and, more importantly, that the defendant will turn up to the trial date set by the court.
Civil Bail Bond. These types of bonds relate to civil cases and guarantee the payment of the debt and also include any interest or costs incurred against the defendant.
So now we’ve understood a little more about the types of bail, let’s now take a look at how bail is set.
How bail Is set in Oklahoma
An arrested person can often get out of jail fairly quickly by paying the amount stated in the jail bail schedule, this is known as jail bail.
The schedule is a set of bail charges for common crimes. This enables a defendant to not have to wait and see the judge first, as it’s usually a judge who will set the bail amount a day or two later.
If a suspect wants to post bail but can't afford the amount required by the bail schedule, the suspect can ask a judge to lower it. Depending on the state's procedures, a request for lowered bail may be made either in a special bail hearing or when the suspect appears in court for the first time (usually called the arraignment)
Now we’ve seen it’s possible to get out of jail referring to the jail bail schedule, You may be wondering whether bail is likely to be excessive or not. Let’s take a look.
Is bail likely to be excessive?
According to The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, bail should never be used primarily as a way of raising funds for the Government. So this means that bail should not be excessive. More importantly, it’s primary purpose should not be used as a punishment for a suspect of a crime.
It’s comforting to remember that the main focus of bail is to allow anyone arrested in connection with a crime to remain free while at the same time, making sure the defendant attends court.
“bail should not be excessive.”
Let's now explore exactly how bail bonds work.
How do bail bonds work in Oklahoma?
Judges can set their own bail amounts, so it can be difficult to predict exactly how much the bail will be, especially as the bail can range widely within each jurisdiction.
To give you a general idea of bail costs, a defendant charged with a nonviolent crime could be looking at bail set at $500. However, Felony crime charges of $20,000 or more are not uncommon. A Bail Bonds Company in Oklahoma will typically charge a premium of 10% of the bond. Good Guys Bail Bonds offers bail bond financing under certain circumstances with a 5% down payment. One should always beware of half priced bondsmen.
Once the amount of bail is set, the defendant has a choice to either remain in jail until the charges are resolved at the trial, to arrange for a bail bond, or to pay the bail amount in full until the case is resolved. Good Guys Bail Bonds offers an easy way to apply for bail online, to make arraignments without leaving the comfort of your home.
Some courts will accept other valuable collateral value in lieu of cash, such as the Deed to property or a home.
Once the amount of the bail is set, the defendant has a choice to either remain in jail until the charges are resolved at the trial or to arrange for a bail bond.”
What information do I need when contacting a Bail Bondsman in Oklahoma?
When contacting a Bail bondsman in Oklahoma, make sure you know:
The full name of the defendant
The name of the jail
The exact charge(s)
Any other useful information about the cosigner and defendant
When will the bond be posted?
The bail agent posts the bond after the premium has been paid and any collateral has been signed over.
What happens if the defendant doesn't show up for their court date?
If the defendant fails to appear in court, the bail agent or cosginer may be required to pay the full bail amount.
If the defendant fails to attend court or violates any bail conditions, the bail agent may locate the defendant and take them back to jail.
And finally…
We hope this has cleared up any concerns or questions you may have surrounding bail and how bail bonds work.
If you or a friend, or loved one who has been arrested or is facing criminal charges or a warrant in El Reno, Yukon, Mustang or Canadian County Oklahoma, it’s important to have the best bail bondsman you can hire.
Good Guys Bail bonds in Canadian County Oklahoma is one of the most professional and reliable bail bonds companies in Oklahoma.
Why not get in touch with our expert Bondsmen at Good Guys Bail Bonds to get a 24-hour response, we’ll do our utmost to help bring you much needed help, and peace of mind.
