Getting arrested and thrown in jail is not only inconvenient, but it is also embarrassing, scary and frustrating. The good news is that you most likely will not have to stay in jail throughout your court hearings for the charges against you. Instead, you could post bail and get of jail quickly. The bail process can take some time, so here are some steps that will help expedite the process.
Find out the Bail Amount
You cannot get out of jail until you know exactly how much the bail amount is. When you find this out, you could call a friend to pay it for you or purchase a bail bond on your behalf. A bail bond comes in handy when you don’t have enough cash to pay for the entire bond. With a bail bond, you can get out of jail by paying only a small portion of the bail amount the court set.
Call a Friend or Relative
When you have this information, call a friend or relative for help. Explain the situation to your friend or relative, and give him or her all the information you have about your case. This may include your inmate number, the charges against you, and the bail amount. If you do not have these details, ask someone at the jail to supply them to you.
Once you have the information you need, call a friend and ask him or her to seek help from a local bail bondsman. A bail bondman offers loans for bailing people out of jail. You pay 10% of the total amount, and they will take care of the rest. This is the best way to bail a person out of jail when you cannot afford to pay the full bail amount on your own.
Contact the Bail Bondsman
Next, you or your friend must contact the bail bondsman. If it is the middle of the night, it might be slightly harder to find a company that is open. Fortunately, if you are in the San Antonio area, you could contact AA Best Bonds. We are open 24 hours a day and will work quickly to help you bail out your friend or relative.
When you contact a bail bondsman, they will start working on the bail process immediately. All you must do is give them the information they ask for, and this is why it’s important to get as many details as possible about the inmate. If a friend is cosigning for your bail, that person will be responsible for the bail. In other words, he or she will have to repay the bail money if you fail to go to your court hearing.
Visit the Bail Bondsman
While it is not necessary to visit a bail bondsman to complete the process, it is still a good idea if possible. Visiting the bail bondsman will help you complete the process faster, and it will help you understand the process, what will happen next, and what your responsibilities are for bailing your friend out of jail.
If you cannot visit the bail bondsman, you could complete the process through a fax machine. Keep in mind, once the bail bond is finalized, the jail will release your friend, and he or she will need a ride to get home. If it’s not possible for you to be there, you might want to make other arrangements for your friend.
Going through the bail bond process for the first time is intimidating for some people, but it doesn’t have to be. If you need to bail a friend out, simply call AA Best Bonds for help.