ABOUT BAIL BONDS
Without bail bonds, people who have been arrested are kept in jail until arraignment and possibly until trial. Arraignment is the hearing when the defendant is brought in front of a judge to hear the charges. While arraignment may be “only” three business days away, sometimes less, this can mean close to a week in jail waiting when weekends and holidays are considered. Jobs, homes and families suffer, not to mention the traumatic and frightening experience of incarceration. Instead, most defendants post a bail bond so they can hire an attorney, prepare for trial and continue with their regular lives until the trial is finished, as per their 8th Amendments Rights. A bail bond is a guarantee that an individual defendant will return to court to stand trial.

FAQs

Question: What does Posting Bond mean
Answer:
Posting a bail bond involves a contractual undertaking guaranteed by a Bail Bond Agent (surety agent) and the Indemnitor (usually a relative or close friend and typically called a "co-signer"). The bail bond is a financial guarantee to the court that the defendant will appear in court each and every time the court orders.

For this service, the Bail Agent charges a premium fee for the service (typically 10% of the full bail amount). In addition, the Bail Agent may require physical collateral as well as the signing of a bail bond agreement (contract), or both, depending on the individual circumstances. Often times a defendant can be bailed out of jail with only the signature of a responsible Indemnitor.

After an agreement is reached between the Bail Agent and the Indemnitor and all fees are paid, the Bail Agent physically posts a bail bond for the full bail amount with the jail or court.  The defendant is released on bail and given a date and location to appear in court. If the defendant fails to appear in court, the Indemnitor is responsible for paying the full amount of the bail. If the defendant is located and arrested by the Bail Agent the Indemnitor is responsible for all fugitive recovery expenses incurred by the Bail Agent to locate, arrest and return the defendant to custody.

Note:  It is very important the Indemnitor (co-signer) feels confident the defendant will appear in all of their court appearances or posting a bail bond is not recommended.

Question: What is a Bail Bond?
Answer: A bail bond is a financial guarantee to the court that the defendant will appear in each and every court appearance as the court directs. Failure of the defendant to comply with the conditions of the court could result in warrants issued and bail bonds forfeited.

Question: OK, so now what... how do I post bail with R Bail Bonds?
Answer:

1) Contact us by phone, text message, or email with following basic information:
    • Defendant's full name & DOB
    • What jail are they in custody
    • Booking number
    • Charge(s)
    • Bond amount(s)
    • Name of consigner

2) As cosigner you'll need to meet with us to fill out paper work, as well as the following:
    • Show proof of valid driver's license or State issued ID
    • Provide pay check stub or proof of employment
    • Provide copy of utility bill showing proof of residence
    • Must be a US Citizen

3) Pay premium fee.

4) With payment, a cosigner that meets our qualifications, and all paperwork completed the bond is then posted, and the defendant is released.

Question: How do I pay?
Answer: We accept Cash, Credit Cards, PayPal, Cashier's Check, Money Orders, Western Union Quick Collect.

Question: How long does it take for paperwork?
Answer: About 20 minutes.

Question: How long does it take for a person to get out of jail?
Answer: It depends on the jail. On average it could take from 30 minutes to upwards of a few hours.

Question: Is the premium fee refundable
Answer: No. Once the bail bond is posted and accepted by a court or jail, liability is taken on the bail bond.  At that point the bail bond premium is fully earned and is not refundable.

Question: How long is the bond good for?
Answer: One year. If the case goes beyond one year, the premium must be paid again in order to keep the bail bond current.

Question: What are the responsibilities of a cosigner?
Answer: A cosigner is someone willing to sign for the defendant and is responsible for the following things:

    • To make sure the defendant makes all appearances to court
    • To make sure the defendant notifies R Bail Bonds with next court appearances
    • To make sure the defendant notifies R Bail Bonds if the defendant leaves the jurisdiction or changes their residence.
    • To make sure the premium is paid in full
    • Can be held financially liable for the full bond amount, plus recovery fees in the event the defendant "skips"

Question: What are the responsibilities of the defendant?
Answer: The responsibilities of a defendant are the following:

    • Upon being released, the defendant must report within 12 hours to R Bail Bonds (Rod or Ryanne Hoffmann) and complete
       the necessary paperwork. After completion, the defendant will receive upcoming court date information.
    • Defendant must report to R Bail Bonds, at least once a week or as required.
    • Defendant must appear for all court dates
    • Defendant must receive permision from R Bail Bonds prior to leaving the jurisdiction or changing their residence
    • Defendant must notify R Bail Bonds of any change of address
    • Defendant must pay premium in full or make all premium payments on time.

Question: What will cause the bond to be revoked?
Answer: There are several things that can cause a bond to be revoked including:

    • Failure to appear in court when ordered
    • Failure to pay premium or payments on time
    • Failure to notify R Bail Bonds of address change
    • Defendant conceals themselves or leaves the jurisdiction of the court without the permission of R Bail Bonds.
    • Defendant provides false information to R Bail Bonds

Question: What if the co-signer wants "off the bond"
Answer: Getting off the bond, as it's often called is possible however the following things will be required:
    • Co-signer will be required to surrender the defendant to R Bail Bonds.
    • If this is not possible, then the co-signer will be required to assist us in returning the defendant to custody.
    • Co-signer may still be held legally responsible for the any remaining unpaid premium fee or assesed a bond release fee.
    • Unless suitable replacement co-signer can be obtained, the defendant will be returned to custody and new bond will
       be required for his release.

A word about using your status as co-signer to control the defendant. Threating to pull off the bond and having them put back in jail is a very bad idea and typically makes matters worse. If you don't trust them... then don't co-sign for them!

But we know things change once a person is out on bond. So, if you know the defendant plans to skip or does anything to break the terms of their bond, then contact us IMMEDIATELY. We're in a better position legally to convince them to do the right thing.