Facing criminal charges is a complicated and stressful situation, particularly because the arrest restricts your freedom. Sitting in a jail cell means you’re separated from your loved ones and you can’t work effectively on forming your defense. Fortunately, the bail system provides a way to obtain release, but what if you can’t afford bail?
Once you’re arrested and booked, the next phase in the process is your arraignment and bail hearing. This is when the judge will determine how high to set your bail. In felony, or federal crimes, the bail is considerably high in most cases, due to the seriousness of the crimes. Most people simply don’t have the resources to pay a bail that can be thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of dollars. This is where a service that pays felony and federal bail bonds Beaver County PA becomes useful.
Once bail is set, the defendant’s family members will have to consult the bail bond service to arrange for the bail to be posted. The service charges a smaller fee, which is usually a percentage of the required bail, and posts the bail in exchange. In most cases, the defendant, or family, will have to offer something as collateral, as well. Once the defendant appears for trial, the service gets its money back and the arrangement is ended.
However, if the defendant doesn’t show up for his trial date, the bail bond service will attempt to find and apprehend the defendant. Additionally, the family of the defendant may be held responsible for the full bail amount, which the bail bond service has lost to the courts. It’s important to realize that attempting to run, while out on bail, will have consequences for others, as well as for the defendant.
Arranging for release through a bail bond service is an opportunity for the defendant to regain his freedom. While he waits for his trial date, the defendant can hire an attorney, collect evidence, and talk to witnesses. In addition to developing a defense strategy, getting released on bail gives the defendant an opportunity to spend time with loved ones and make future arrangements. In this way, utilizing a bail bond service can be as important as choosing an attorney.