Life is rough for some of us and even if we do not want to, some of us end up facing criminal charges and jail. When such a situation occurs to any of your friends or family, there is no reason to panic. The judicial system has a way to get the person released from jail until they are legally tried in court and declared guilty of the alleged offense. This temporary release is obtained using bail and bail bonds.

Bail and Bail bonds

A bail is an amount of money paid to the court to release the defendant from custody and guarantee his appearance in court during the criminal hearing. The court fixes the bail amounts depending on the nature of the crime. 

If the accused pays the bail and appears in court for the hearing, the bail amount is refunded. If he fails to appear for the hearing, the bail amount gets forfeited.

Usually, the bail amounts are fixed high to prevent the accused from jumping bail or avoiding a hearing.  Most accused persons do not have the means to pay such high amounts of bail money. This is where bail bonds come to one’s rescue.

A bail bond is an agreement made between a defendant and a bail agent to help him secure bail.  When a defendant contacts the bail bond agent, the agent agrees to pay the bail amount and secure his release in return for a bond amount.  In return for the bail bond, the agent pays the cash bail and gets the accused released temporarily till the hearing.

This bail bond amount is usually 10% of the bail amount. The bail bondsmen secure the bail bond with collateral from the accused person. If the defendant cannot pay, the agent collects the collateral from his family.

In short, the bail bond is a surety bond that bail bond companies provide through their agent to get a release for the accused from jail.

Types of bail bonds

Bail bonds are of 2 types- criminal bail bonds and civil bail bonds.

Criminal bail bonds are posted on behalf of criminal suspects and guarantee their appearance in court for the hearing. Civil bail bonds apply for civil cases when the defendant has failed to pay some debts, taxes, etc.

Bail hearing

A bail hearing is when the judge decides if the charged person is eligible for bail and fixes the bail amount. Since this is the first appearance of the accused in court, a criminal defense attorney is not needed. Based on the history of the defendant and the nature of the case, the judge fixes the bail amount. If the person is charged with violent crimes or if he has a history of criminal activity, the bail amount is bound to be higher.

When the bail amount is high, the charged person has no option but to apply for a bail bond.

Bail and Bail bond amounts

In the United States, the bail amount is fixed based on the nature of the crime as follows

• Common misdemeanor charges- $1000
• Gross misdemeanor charges-$2000
• Bailable Felony offenses-$5000- $20,000
• Violent felony offenses- for serious crimes involving violence like assault, murder, rape, and domestic violence offenses, the judge decides on an individual case basis.

Usually, the bail bond amount is 10-20% of the above bail amount and differs across the states. It also depends on the nature of the crime and the situation of the arrest. The bail bond agent takes his fees through a form of collateral like a property. Some bail bond agencies even help by offering a payment plan through credit cards. The bail bond agency fees are non-refundable.

Bail bonds agent or bounty hunter?

The bail bonds agency is responsible for producing the criminal defendant in court. If the defendant tries to skip the bail hearing without a valid reason, he is declared a fugitive and a warrant is issued for his arrest. Now, the bail bonds company has to pay the full bail amount and has no way of collecting it from the criminal. To avoid this, the bail bond company hires a trained professional called a ” bounty hunter” to hunt the fugitive and produce him in court. 

Bail bond laws

In the United States, the bail bond process and laws differ from state to state. Some states like Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, and Wisconsin prohibit bail bondsmen. In these states, there are bail bonds but they have to be paid to the court directly.

In stressful times when you or your family member faces an arrest, seek the help of a reliable bail bonds service company. A licensed bail bondsman will know all the bail bond laws and have a good rapport with the authorities in the county jails and the criminal justice system. Only such an experienced bail agent can help you gain peace of mind by securing your bail within the shortest time.

All of us make mistakes. Yet, when one faces arrest or is taken to the police station, we panic. Your immediate intention is to avoid jail time by getting bail. To achieve this, you must seek the assistance of a bail bonds service company.

A bail bond agent can get you a pretrial release by posting bail in return for a nominal bail bond fee. Although this is normal practice, certain things are different in the state of Connecticut. To know the CT bail bond process, you must contact a Connecticut Bail Bond Group.

Before you embark on this mission, try to get your facts straight about the bail process. bail laws, bail money, etc. in Connecticut.

Bail laws in Connecticut

In Connecticut, it is the police officer who sets the bail amount at the time of the arrest. If the bail is not posted then, a Bail Commissioner reviews and resets the bail. If the accused is unable to pay the bail even then, a judge resets the bail at the bail hearing.

Recently, in 2017, Connecticut laws changed to allow persons accused of non-violent misdemeanors released before trial. The new law disallowed bail money for all misdemeanor defendants, especially those involved in family violence or those with flight risk.

Bail bond laws in Connecticut

The state of Connecticut has certain requirements for Bail bondsmen. so when you look for a Connecticut Bail Bonds Company, ensure that they satisfy the following requirements.

• All CT Bail bondsmen must be licensed to operate in that area.
• A CT Bail Bonds Agent must have a clean criminal record. The CT Insurance Department and the FBI verify the criminal background of all bail bond agents.
•  The CT Justice Department requires a co-signer along with the bail bondsman. This cosigner is financially responsible for paying the bail amount if the defendant fails to do so.
• The bail bond fee is fixed by the state of Connecticut at 10% up to a bail amount of $500. It is 7% for higher bail amounts. The CT Bail Bonds Agents cannot charge more or less than the stipulated amount.

Process of bail in Connecticut

On facing an arrest in Connecticut, you must immediately hire a licensed Bail Bond Agent for your bail assistance. The bail amounts vary in Connecticut depending on the types of offenses as follows

• Misdemeanor– In Connecticut, the bail amount for misdemeanors varies from $250 to $1000 depending on the category.
• Theft– Connecticut state laws categorize theft as a misdemeanor or felony depending on the severity of the crime. From shoplifting to petty theft, there are 6 degrees of this offense with bail amounts ranging from $500 to $10,000
• Weapons violation– Connecticut is very strict about misdemeanor offenses. Possession, Use, Licensing, Transporting, and carrying weapons are seen as weapons violations. They warrant compulsory jail time of 3- 5 years along with fines ranging from $250 to several thousand.
• Drug Offenses– Drug crime is dealt with seriously in Connecticut. Depending on the nature and quantity of drugs possessed or used, the bail varies from $1000 to $100,000 along with compulsory prison time.
• Assault and Battery– In Connecticut, assault charges levy a bail of $1000 or $15,000. A sex crime is considered a felony and charged with higher bail. 
• Domestic Violence– Domestic abuse is seen as a Class B felony in CT. Connecticut views domestic violence offenses seriously charging $5000 to $20,000 as bail.
• Felony– Arson, Robbery, Murder, Drug, and Human Trafficking, Sex assault, etc. are all considered a felony in Connecticut. Bonds for Sex 
• Sex crime- Nudity, public intercourse, rape, and sexual assault come under Class C felony in Connecticut.  Bonds for sex crimes are difficult to get in Connecticut unless you are guided by an expert bail agent with good knowledge of the legal process.

Getting quick and affordable Bail bonds in Connecticut

If you want a quick bail in Connecticut for your crime, you must first hire a reputed Connecticut Bail Bonds Group with licensed bail bondsmen. They must offer 24-hour bail bonds service. In other words, professional services of the bail bonding agents must be available at any time of day or night. 

The Connecticut Bail Bonds Group must have a team of dedicated bail bondsmen with a thorough knowledge of the bail bonds process. They must be adept at securing bail for a variety of crimes.  From simple traffic violations, white-collar crimes, and financial crimes to class B felonies, they must handle all types of bail bonds 

The Connecticut Bail Bonds Group must offer affordable bail bond services with a wide range of payment plan options.

Find a Dedicated Connecticut Bail Bonding Company that satisfies all the above conditions and hire them at once to get quick bail in Connecticut.

There is a kind side to each of us that makes us want to help others. That is why when someone we know is arrested and seeks our help in co-signing a bail bond, we readily agree to help. This act of goodwill is laudable. But, do you realize that when you cosign a bail bond, you are assuming personal responsibility of repaying the bail amount for your friend or relative? In case you did not know the full financial burdens of co-signing a bail bond, learn it at least now by reading on.

Let us start by learning a little about the bail bond process.

Bail Bond Agreement 

A person accused of a crime tries to seek temporary release from jail until he is tried and convicted. He does this by paying an amount to the court called bail. The bail amount secures his release until he appears for the hearing. If the defendant appears in court, the bail amount is refunded else it is forfeited.

He contacts a bail bond company when an accused seeks bail but cannot afford to pay the huge amount. Now, the bail bondsman makes an application for bail on behalf of the defendant and pays the entire bail amount. In return, he charges 10% of the bail amount as his bail bond fee.

The bail bond agent draws up an indemnity agreement called the bail bond agreement with collateral property. He only agrees to post the bail if any friend or relative cosigns the bail bond.

Implications of Cosigning the bail bond.

Cosigning a bail bond is a huge financial obligation. When you do this, you take up the financial responsibility of paying the bail bond debt if the accused flees or fails to appear in court. 

Every bail bonds company tries to help by offering the accused a payment plan spaced over some time to pay the bond amount. If the defendant fails to pay it on time, the cosigner has to pay the entire bond amount with interest.

As a bail bond co-signer, you must be aware that there is a bail bond collateral involved while signing the bond. If the defendant is not able to provide this collateral, you may have to provide it. This poses a huge financial risk as you might lose your personal property if the defendant fails to pay the bond amount or flees.

Cosigner Bail Bond requirements

One has to fulfill the following requirements to be a bail bond co-signer.

• The cosigner must have a good credit history. You must be making his regular payments for all his utility bills on time.
• The consigner should have some tangible property or assets to show as collateral for the bond.
• The cosigner must have a stable employment record. Proof of employment must be submitted to the Bail Bond Agencies. they must be satisfied with your job history and income to know that you can repay the bond amount.
• The cosigner is responsible for ensuring that the accused makes all the court appearances on time till the trial is over.

Before you cosign a bail bond, check these things out

• When you cosign the bond, the accused is released from jail
• As a cosigner, you can ask for the defendant to be put on a drug treatment program or be subjected to a mental health evaluation.
• If you doubt the intentions of the defendant, you can ask the bail agent to cancel the bail bond and remand him to police custody.
• If the defendant tries to escape, you can alert the bail bonds agency and help them return the defendant to jail.
• Your cosigned account will reflect in your credit report and affect your credit score.

Reducing the risk of a bail bond scam

If the defendant forfeits bail, you are in trouble as you are the cosigner. Prevent this bail bonds forfeit by

• Checking on the defendant from time to time, even by a surprise visit
• Checking with the employer and colleagues of the defendant regarding his work 
• Maintaining records of the bail bond payment and confirming it with the defendant
• Reading the bail bond agreement thoroughly before signing
• Never co-sign for a person who you do not know or trust.
• Stay in touch with the bail bondsman to know the progress 

Being a co-signer of a bail bond has both financial and legal responsibilities. Think twice and always consult an expert bail bond company before becoming a bail bond co-signer.