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Most people have no idea how bail works. This is because most of us never expect to face arrest. However, something as simple as an unpaid parking ticket can land you in jail. Of course, most people go to jail for much more serious crimes. If you are arrested, you’re going to have a lot of questions. How long will you sit in jail? How much will your bail be? And, how the heck are you supposed to get your hands on enough money to pay your bail?

Unfortunately, the people who run the jail are not going to be a lot of help in this department. It’s their job to put you in jail, not to get you out. However, when you’re arrested, you will get the chance to make one phone call. That phone call should probably be to a reputable Greenville bail bondsman.

How Can a Bail Bondsman in Greenville, South Carolina Help?

If you’re arrested and a judge sets your bail, the first thing you need to do is figure out how to pay it. In order to get out of jail, you have to pay your bail. Some courts allow you to pay a portion of your bail in order to be released. However, some cases are so serious that the only way to get out is to pay the entire thing, This is when you need the help of a bail bondsman.

When you talk to bail bond agent, there are a few things you want to ask. These questions should help you figure out if a bail bondsman is your best option. They also make sure you find out everything you need to know when you first meet with your bail agent.

• What percentage do you charge for a bail bond?

Most bail bonds companies charge a 10% fee for posting your bond. If the agent you speak with offers a discount or tells you a lower fee, be wary. Chances are, there’s a good reason he’s offering you a discount. Either he’s not legitimate or he’s desperate for your business. Either way, he’s not the kind of guy you want to do business with.

• Are you on the Better Business Bureau?

Reputable bail bond companies are registered with the BBB. This is a sign that they are on the up and up. It also shows that they take pride in their work and care about their reputation.

• Are you licensed?

Most states require that bail bonds agents be licensed. If the agent you speak with says he isn’t, end the call. You don’t want to do business with an unlicensed agent. The court probably won’t deal with him if he’s not licensed.

• How fast can you get me out of jail?

If a bail agent tells you he can get you out of jail within an hour, be skeptical. Any legitimate and experienced bail agent knows there’s no way to give you an exact time. The process can take anywhere from a few hours to a day. It depends on the circumstances of your case.

• Can you explain the bond process to me?

If the agent rushes you off the phone or says he doesn’t have time to explain the bail bond process, find a different agent. You are paying for his services. If he’s not willing to take the time to explain how the process works, you don’t want to do business with him.

• What can you use as collateral?

If your bail is high, you will have to provide collateral for your bond. Ask the bail agent what he requires as collateral.

• What happens if you violate bond?

You need to know the consequences of violating your bond. The bail agent should be pretty straight forward when it comes to answering this question.

• Can you get your money back?

You will normally not get your money back from the bail agent. Ask what the company’s rules are about this.

• Can the bail agent get your bail or bond reduced?

Usually, your attorney will file a motion to reduce bail. But it doesn’t hurt to ask the question.

• What information does the bail agent need to post bond?

It’s important that you know what information your family or friend will need to get your bond. The bail agent can provide you with this information.

Contact a Bail Bondsman in Greenville Today

If arrested, you might post bail to get out. Contact a Greenville bail bond company immediately and arrange for them to post your bond. The longer you wait to post bond, the longer you’ll have to sit in jail.

Most of us will go through our entire lives without ever feeling the cold, hard, metal of handcuffs snapped snug against our wrists. We tend to think that only certain types of people go to jail like burglars and drug dealers. However, every day, regular people just like you face arrest. You just never know what the future may bring. It’s important that you understand what your rights if you do face jail time.

The arrest process depends on how and why you’re arrested. If you’re pulled over and the cop sees you have an outstanding warrant, you’ll actually be cuffed, placed in the back of a cop car and hauled to the local precinct. You’ll be put in a holding cell and they’ll contact the county holding the warrant. They’ll find out how much you owe and ask what your payment options are.

Each county has a different threshold amount. So, if your warrant is only for a $100, they’ll usually let you leave on your own recognizance. They’ll schedule a new court date and you’ll be let go. However, if your warrant amount is higher than a couple hundred dollars, you’ll have to either pay it all or spend some time in jail.

If you’re arrested for anything aside from an outstanding warrant, the procedure is a little different.

What is the Arrest Process in Greenville?

If you’re arrested in South Carolina, the process can be quite scary. The first thing the officer will do is read you your Miranda rights. Try to and take note of whether or not he does this. If you aren’t read your rights, your criminal defense lawyer can argue to have the charges dismissed.

After you receive your Miranda warning, you go to the jail. Once at the jail, they’ll take your picture and do your fingerprints. They’ll ask you some basic questions for their paperwork.

After you’re processed, you’ll get a chance to make one phone call. You can use this opportunity to call a family member, lawyer or bail bondsman. We recommend that you contact a family member and ask them to reach out to a lawyer or bail bondsman. This way, they’re not limited to a five-minute conversation from the jailhouse.

Your Family Should Contact a Greenville Criminal Lawyer

As soon as you talk to your family, ask them to contact a Greenville criminal lawyer. You really want a lawyer there to protect your rights. Sometimes, they release from jail a few hours after your arrest. It depends on the prosecutor. If the crime is minor, he may agree to release you on your own recognizance (ROR.)

In most cases, you’ll have to spend the night in jail. In South Carolina, most people have their bond hearing within 24 hours of being arrested. At your bond hearing, the judge will determine what will happen. It’s a good idea to have your Greenville criminal lawyer at the bond hearing with you. This is where they’ll decide if you go home or stay in jail.

Your Criminal Lawyer in Greenville With Fight to Get Your Bond

At your bond hearing, the prosecutor will ask the judge to either deny bond or set it quite high. Your criminal lawyer will ask the judge to set bond low. Your bond depends on the following factors:

• Prior criminal record (if any)
• Flight risk
• Severity of the crime
• Your financial situation

The judge may also put other conditions on your release. For example, he may insist that you stay within the county limits. Maybe you’ll have to stay with your parents for a few weeks pending your court date. Or, he may require that you wear an ankle bracelet for location monitoring. In most minor cases, the judge won’t impost anything unreasonable.

What Happens Next?

Your lawyer will then reach out to a bail bondsman. He will arrange for the bondsman to post bond on your behalf. The amount you have to pay is usually a percentage of your total bail. So, if your bail is at $10,000, you may post a $1,000 deposit for release. Your bail bondsman will post this amount on your behalf.

The judge will give you a new court date. Make sure you show up! If you don’t show up for your scheduled court dates, your bond may be revoked. Contact a bail bondsman in Greenville today if you have any questions.

The United States Constitution offers a lot of protection when it comes to criminal matters. The Fourth Amendment protects you against illegal searches and seizures. The Fifth Amendment offers criminal defendants the right to not testify at trial. And, the Eighth Amendment offers protection from excessive bail.

After you’re arrested, a judge will hold something called a bail hearing. At this hearing, the judge will look at all the information provided by both the prosecutor and your criminal lawyer. He’ll decide if bail is warranted. And, if it is, he’ll decide how much bail is required to get you released from prison.
Judges will grant bail in most cases. It’s rare that a defendant will be denied bail all together. A few factors may cause a judge to deny bail:

• The seriousness of the crime
• Defendant’s extensive criminal record
• History of missing court dates in the past
• No permanent address
• Definite flight risk

If you meet these criteria, there is a chance that you’ll be denied bail all together. However, chances are, you will get bail. The amount will depend on the judge.

If Your Bail Is Too High, You May Need a Greenville Bail Bondsman

At your bail hearing, you’ll find out if the prosecutor is willing to allow bail or not. He may ask the judge to deny bail if the crime is very serious. Or, he may ask that bail be set so high that it may as well have been denied. The judge will look at the factors outlined above when determining bail. The more serious your crime, the higher your bail will be. That is the general rule. Of course, other things can influence bail as well.

According to the 8th Amendment, bail is required to be set at a reasonable amount. The purpose of bail is not to punish you. It is intended to motivate you to show up for your court date. The court just wants to make sure you aren’t going to flee and avoid trial.

If a judge sets bail at an amount that is disproportionate to your crime, your attorney will file a motion to reduce bail. Your attorney will argue the following:

• You have no criminal record
• You have worked at the same job for several years
• You’ve shown up for every other court date in the past
• You have young children at home and have no intention of leaving town
• Your crime is minor
• You have lived at the same address for years

Depending on the circumstances of your case, the judge may agree to reduce bail. If he doesn’t, your attorney can appeal the matter later. For the time being, however, you will want to contact a Greenville bail bondsman.

Will a Bail Bondsman in Greenville, South Carolina Post Your Bond?

While you’re waiting for your attorney to file an appeal regarding your bail, you need to get out of jail. The best way to do this is to have your criminal lawyer contact a bail bondsman in Greenville, South Carolina.

A bail bondsman will be able to post bond on your behalf. You’ll have to offer a certain amount of collateral in exchange for his services. You’ll also have to pay a fee to the bail bondsman. This fee is usually 10% of the bond. You won’t get this money back. If your lawyer is able to get your bond reduced, you’ll have to make arrangements with your bail agent to adjust the fee.

How Important Is Posting Bail?

Even if you believe your bail is too high, you will probably want to pay it. The alternative is sitting in jail until your trial date. That could be months or even a year away. The last thing you’ll want to do is sit in jail all that time. You won’t be able to work and may lose your job. You won’t get to see your family.

The purpose behind the 8th Amendment protection against excessive bail is to guarantee you freedom pending trial. When you’re arrested, you are only charged with a crime. You haven’t yet been convicted. So, until you are convicted, you are presumed innocent. An innocent person should not be stuck in jail. You should be home with your family. Enjoy whatever time you have until your trial date.

One great thing about bail bondsmen is that they can help you when nobody else can. Very few of us have family or friends who are able or willing to put up thousands of dollars in bail. For a fee, a bail agent is willing to do this.

One of the biggest issues in criminal law right now is bail. A lot of states are getting rid of it all together. This is because the bail system is said to work against poor people. The states that still have a bail system are looking at ways to make it fair. Bails bonds exist to help people who would otherwise sit in jail for months or years.

Imagine the Following Two Scenarios:

• Citizen X is arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. He attacked his neighbor with a golf club after a drunken night of partying. He makes $500,000 a year and owns a multi-million-dollar home. Also, he has a few million in the bank and comes from a very wealthy family. His bail is set at $1-million dollars. His wife pays the bail within an hour of his bond hearing. He goes home, showers and goes on with his life. His trial takes place 10 months later.
• Citizen Y is arrested for panhandling. He was asking people for change as they exited the city subway station. He is homeless and has no family. At his bond hearing, the judge sets bail at $1,000. Citizen Y has a history of minor offenses and can’t provide the court with a permanent address. Citizen Y doesn’t have $1,000 to pay his bail. He doesn’t even have $5 to his name. He sits in a cold jail cell for 11 months awaiting trial.

Something just feels wrong about this scenario, doesn’t it? This is why we have bail bonds.

If You Can’t Afford Bail, Call a Greenville Bail Bondsman

Unless you’re arrested for a very serious crime, the judge will probably grant you bail. It may be low or it may be very high. The court sets bail based on a few things.

• The Seriousness of the Charges

  • If you’re arrested for armed robbery, your bail is going to be a lot higher than if you were arrested for petty theft.

• Your Criminal History

  • If you have never been arrested before, your record will be clean. Judges will set lower bail for people with a clean criminal record. This is because there is less of a chance of you committing another crime before your court date.

• Flight Risk

  • The court will look at things like whether or not you have a job, how long you’ve lived at your address and if you have a family. The more likely the chance that you’ll skip out on your court date, the higher your bail.

• Financial Situation

  • The court should look at your financial situation. Bail should be a reasonable amount.

As we mentioned earlier, for some people, any amount of bail is too high. Some people just don’t have access to thousands of dollars. For these people, their only option is calling a bail bondsman.

How Can a Greenville, South Carolina Bail Bondsman Help?

If bail is too high, you may post bond. This means you’ll pay a portion of your bail to get out of jail. You’ll have to post a bond for the rest. This just means that you’ll offer the court collateral for the remaining amount. If you fail to show up for your court date, you surrender your deposit and the court takes your bond.

Many people don’t have the kind of assets required to post bond. This is when you call a bail bondsman. A bail bondsman in Greenville will post bond for you. But he doesn’t do this out of the goodness of his heart.

When You Ask a Bail Bondsman to Post Bond for You, a Few Things Happen.

• You (and usually 1-2 family members) sign a contract agreeing to pay back the bond if you don’t show up to court
• The bondsman will charge a fee for giving you the bond. This fee has to be paid either at the time he posts bond or as per an agreed upon payment plan.
• Your family members are co-signers. This means they’re responsible for the fee if you skip town.
• If you show up to court, the bail bondsman gets his money back from the court

Bail bondsman aren’t cheap. However, they may be the only thing that stands between you staying in jail or going home. You want to make sure you contact a reputable bail bondsman if you get into legal trouble. Your Greenville criminal lawyer will help you do this.

If you’re arrested, contact a bail bondsman in Greenville, South Carolina today.

Getting arrested for any crime is usually a devastating experience for anyone, whether they are guilty or innocent. After booking and getting jailed, the next thing you will be thinking about is how to get yourself out fast. The quickest way is usually by posting bail, which is set depending on the reason for the arrest. To determine the bail for your release, you will need to go to a Greenville, SC bail hearing. During the trial, the judge will go through your charges and other factors to determine the amount to pay. In most cases, the amount is usually more than one can settle on short notice. In this case, you will need the assistance of a bail bondsman to post bail for you. Read further to see how much a bail bond costs.

What is a Bail Bond in Greenville, SC?

Most people are unable to pay the cash amount for their bail to secure their release. In such cases, a bail bond company is hired to post a bail bond for them. Greenville bail bonds are a percentage of the bail amount that is paid by a bondsman, so you are released from jail. 

The bail bond is an assurance that you will appear in court on the date of your hearing. In South Carolina, the bondsman is allowed to charge up to 15% of the bail amount. However, you will most likely be required to pay 10%, and he will get the remaining amount in the form of collateral. 

Collateral allows the Greenville bail bonds agent to pay the remaining 90% of the bail should you fail to go to court. It can be any valuable property that equals the remaining amount of the bail. This ensures that the bondsman does not get any losses if you do not appear in court. 

How Is The Bail Amount Determined?

There are a lot of considerations that are made by the court when determining the amount for bail. These include:

• The seriousness of the Greenville, SC charges filed against you.
• Previous criminal record. If you have been arrested before and charged for any crime, your bail amount will likely be high.
• Court history. If you have a record, the court will examine if you have ever failed to appear in court after posting bail.
• Your mental state. They will check if you have any mental illness and if you are stable enough.
• History of alcohol and drug abuse. Incidences such as DUI and DWI will affect the amount.
• Community Ties. They will assess the risk of flight, so if you do not have roots in then, that means a higher amount.

In some cases, the court may deny you bail especially if you have a terrible record or you are a flight risk.

Greenville Bail Bond Cost

If you are unable to pay your bail in cash, you can call a bondsman to get you out of jail. Unlike the court, the bondsman will only require between 10% and 15% of the bail amount to get you released. 

For example, if your bail was $10,000, you need to pay or get a relative you pay $1000 to the bondsman. However, there needs to be collateral just in case you decide to disappear and fail to appear in court. If you were able to pay your bail in cash and appeared in court when required to, the amount is usually refunded. However, when you use a bail bonds agent, the 10% is retained by the company as profit.

What Happens If You Fail To Appear In Court?

A Bench Warrant Is Issued

The judge issues a warrant for your arrest. It will allow the law enforcers to look for you and arrest you anywhere. In this case, you cannot post another Greenville, SC bail so you will stay in jail till your next court date.

Bail Is Imposed

The bail bond agent will have to pay the remaining 90% of the bail amount using the collateral collected. In case you had posted cash bail, the amount is taken by the court. If you had appeared in court, your collateral items would have been returned to you and the cash bail refunded. 

Additional Charges

Failure to appear in a Greenville, SC court is a criminal offense, and you may have charges added to your case. For this, you may be required to pay a fine of up to $10,000 or serve a jail term.

In case you or a loved one is arrested, and you cannot afford the bail, contact Greenville Bail Bonds for assistance. Our services are 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Once you have called us and paid the bail bond, our agent will secure your release within a couple of hours. Contact us today to find out how we can help you get out of jail.