CHARLESTON BAIL BONDS/FIRETAG BAIL BONDS

CHARLESTON BAIL BONDS

AND

FIRETAG BAIL BONDS

CHARLESTON BAIL BONDS/FIRETAG BAIL BONDS
CHARLESTON, SC
United States
ph: 843-556-2986
fax: 843-769-5640
alt: 843-875-3777
Pfiretag@yahoo.com

About Us

WHAT IS BAIL?

Perhaps no criminal issue is so misunderstood as that of bail. It is not uncommon to read in the newspaper that someone was released on bail and went on to commit a new crime. When this happens, the focus is usually on the judge. People want to know why the judge didn’t hold the accused in jail without bail, so society would be protected.

In some countries, an accused person is kept in jail until their trial. In some cases this is for years and an accused is eventually found not guilty. In the U.S., our Constitution gives every accused person the right to reasonable bail — an amount of money or a bond that can be paid and which is forfeited if the defendant runs.

A judge is required to set reasonable bail and if posted, a defendant has a right to remain free pending trial.

A judge takes into consideration many factors in deciding the issue of bail. They include: the nature and circumstances of the offense, the weight of the evidence against the accused, family ties, employment, financial resources, character and mental condition, length of residence in the community, record of convictions, community safety and whether they have previously failed to appear for a court appearance.

Most judges will admit that the defendant’s appearance and demeanor can also affect the amount of bail that is set.

Jail over-crowding is another issue that needs to be considered. Many of our jails are at or above-maximum capacity.
Efforts are under way to improve the information that is available to judges.

WHAT IS A BONDSMAN?

A bail bondsman is any person or corporation which will act as a surety and pledge money or property as bail for the appearance of a criminal defendant in court. Although banks, insurance companies and other similar institutions are usually the sureties on other types of contracts, for example, to bond a contractor who is under a contractual obligation to pay for the completion of a construction project, such entities are reluctant to put their depositors' or policyholders' funds at the kind of risk involved in posting a bail bond. Bail bondsmen, on the other hand, are usually in the business to cater exclusively to criminal defendants, often securing their customers' release in just a few hours.
Bail bondsmen are almost exclusively found in the United States, as in most other countries bail is usually more modest, and the practice of bounty hunting is illegal.
Bondsmen usually have a standing security agreement with local court officials, in which they agree to post a bond, which will pay the court if any defendant for whom the bondsman is responsible does not appear. The bondsman usually has an arrangement with a bank or another credit provider to draw on such security, even during hours when the bank is not operating. This eliminates the need for the bondsman to deposit cash or property with the court every time a new defendant is bailed out.
Bondsmen generally charge a fee of between 10% and 15% of the total amount of the bail required in order to post a bond for the amount. This fee is not refundable and represents the bondsman's compensation for his or her services. For large bail amounts, bondsmen can generally obtain security against the assets of the defendant or persons willing to assist the defendant. For example, for a $100,000 bond for a person who owns a home, the bondsman would charge $10,000 and take a mortgage against the house for the full penal sum of the bond.
If the defendant fails to appear in court, the bondsman is allowed by law and/or contractual arrangement to bring the defendant to the jurisdiction of the court in order to recover the money paid out under the bond, usually through the use of a bounty hunter. The bondsman is also allowed to sue the defendant for any money forfeited to the court should the defendant fail to appear.
In most jurisdictions, bondsmen have to be licensed to carry on business within the state. Four states Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, & Wisconsin—have completely banned commercial bail bonding, usually substituting the 10% cash deposit.

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CHARLESTON BAIL BONDS/FIRETAG BAIL BONDS
CHARLESTON, SC
United States
ph: 843-556-2986
fax: 843-769-5640
alt: 843-875-3777
Pfiretag@yahoo.com