When you are arrested and charged with a criminal offense in Las Vegas, your next concern is being released from custody. Dealing with the legal system can be overwhelming, especially if it is your first time. Therefore, you want to know how bail and bail bonds work so that you can understand what to expect.
If you fall short on cash to post bail, you can seek bond services from a reliable bail bondsman to secure your pre-trial release. A bondsman will post your bail using their own means and explain the bailing process.
If you or a family member requires help getting out of jail before trial, contact 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds. Our bondsmen are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and have experience posting bail for defendants arrested in Las Vegas.
Meaning of Bail
After you are arrested, the judge may grant you a pre-trial release by asking you to post bail. Bail is the court’s way of ensuring you return for your case's trial after being released. The judge will set your bail based on your flight risk, crime severity, and criminal history.
If you attend all your court proceedings and adhere to the bail conditions, the court will return to you the money you used to post your bail minus the court fees. However, you could forfeit the bail money if you miss attending any court proceeding. This means that the court will keep all the money you posted as bail. You could also suffer harsh consequences, such as being arrested once again for failing to attend a court proceeding.
The Meaning of Las Vegas Bail Bonds and How They Work
Sometimes, the judge may set the bail to an amount that is too high for you to pay via cash. As an arrest is so sudden, you may be unable to post cash bail whenever you are arrested. However, you must not spend the entire time in jail awaiting your trial. You can seek the services of a bail bondsman.
A Las Vegas bail bondsman will post bail on your behalf. However, you must pay a non-refundable premium fee of 15% of the set bail amount before they can post your bail. The bail bondsman will take on the risk of you not attending court hearings. However, to minimize this risk, they may ask you to provide collateral such as a property or any other asset as insurance. The collateral must be equal to or more than the set bail amount to be considered by the bail bondsman.
They may also require you to bring in a co-signer, who can pay their money back if you do not attend court proceedings. If you miss any court hearing, the bondsman will eventually forfeit the bail. However, if you had provided collateral, the bail bondsman would use it to cover the bail amount they have forfeited.
Additionally, if you appear in all court proceedings, the presiding judge will refund all the money the bail bondsman had posted as bail on your behalf back to them.
Types of Las Vegas Bail Bonds
Different types of bail bonds are available depending on your situation and the amount of money you have for the bond. They include:
Cash Bond
For a cash bond, you just pay the set bail amount in cash to the court without any interference. If you honor all your appearances in court, the money will be refunded to you once your case ends. This type of bail bond is usually applied when the amount of money set as a bond is low or when you can pay the amount in cash. Nonetheless, if the bail is high, a cash bond can be costly and take a toll on your pocket.
Surety Bond
If you cannot pay the whole amount of the bail, you can hire a bail bondsman to post the bail on your behalf in return for a small percentage, usually 15%. A bondsman is a pledge who stands for you and assures the court that you will attend the court sessions.
Property Bond
Property bonds enable you to deposit your house, car, or any other valuable item that you own to secure the amount of bail. The court puts a legal claim on the property, and if you do not show up for your trials, the court has a right to sell the property to recover the bail.
How The Bail Amount is Determined
The bail set by the court is not just decided out of the blue; there are several factors that a presiding judge will have to consider to determine the amount of bail for your case. They include:
- Severity of the Crime: In most cases, the higher the class of the crime committed, such as violent crimes, the higher the bail set. If the charges are not severe, such as misdemeanors, the bail might be set lower, or you might be released on your own recognizance.
- Criminal History: If you have a record of failing to attend your hearings or are associated with other criminal activities while on bond, the judge might increase your bail amount or even refuse you bail. On the other hand, if this is your first time being involved in a criminal activity, then the bail might be set lower.
- Flight Risk: The court looks at the possibility of you escaping before your trial. Therefore, if you have a connection to the community, for example, a job, family, and a place of residence, you are less likely to flee, and hence, a low amount of bail can be set. However, if you are a stranger in the region or have a past of violating court orders, the judge may fix a higher bail to keep you behind bars.
Jail and Court Information
Las Vegas City Jail,
Phone: 702-229-6460
Henderson Court,
Phone:702-267-5245
Find a Las Vegas Bail Bonds Company Near Me
If you have been arrested in Las Vegas and need assistance securing bail, you should contact a reliable bail bonds company to help you post bail and explain to you the bailing process in simple terms. At 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds, we have bail bondsmen available 24/7 who can help you through this bail process. Contact us today at 800-930-8999 to secure your or your loved one’s pre-trial release.