Undoubtedly, many people do not understand how the bail system works until they find themselves in a situation requiring them to post bail to secure their freedom or help a loved one secure his/her freedom after an arrest. Upon an arrest as a suspect in any criminal case, the court or the arresting officer will allow you to secure your freedom by paying bail.
Bail is the money you pay the court if you are arrested or charged with a crime to secure your freedom temporarily before the case's outcome at trial. Our team of bail bondsmen at 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds is here to help if you are under arrest or charged with an alleged offense.
While we will not be your legal representative in court, we can help you secure fast Salt Lake City bail bond services to secure your release from jail, pending your charge’s verdict.
How the Bail System Functions
Generally speaking, securing your freedom on bond after an arrest is a multi-step process. First, immediately after an arrest, you will go through the booking process at the police station. During this administrative process, the arresting officers will do the following:
- Take your fingerprints and mugshots
- Record every detail of the alleged charge and your legal name and aliases
- Search your person and personal belongings for contraband
- Confiscate your personal belongings
- Hold in the arrestee detention facility pending your release on bail
Whether or not you will receive your freedom immediately after an arrest will depend on your case's nature and facts. If the alleged offense is violent or grave, you must convince the court at your initial court hearing (bail hearing) that you are an excellent candidate for release from jail on bail.
While public safety is the primary consideration when determining whether to allow you to secure your freedom on bond, the judge will also consider the following factors:
- Your offense’s predetermined bail amount on the bail schedule
- Whether you are a flight risk
- Your criminal record
- Whether you have a history of jumping bail
Common Mistakes to Avoid When You Opt to Secure Salt Lake City Bail Bonds Services After an Arrest
If your bail is high and you cannot afford it or an equivalent property to secure your freedom, securing your freedom on bond is another pretrial release option you can consider. That is where the services of a bail bondsman become critical.
A bondsman can sign an agreement with the court to pay the set bail for your case when you refuse to appear on the scheduled court dates. In exchange, you or a cosigner will owe the bondsman 10% of your case's bail as his/her premium (service fee).
When you skip any court date after securing Salt Lake City bail bond services, the judge will forfeit your bail, meaning the bondsman must pay your bail in full. However, when you comply with the set conditions of your pretrial release, the court will exonerate your bail, meaning the bondsman will no longer be financially accountable for your release.
If it is your first time requiring Salt Lake City bail bond services, chances are you are afraid to make a mistake during this vital legal process. Below is a list of common mistakes many defendants make during the bail bond process, but they are all avoidable:
- Retaining the services of an unlicensed bail bondsman
- Lying to your bondsman or failing to provide correct information, like your legal name and your offense bail amount
- Using the incorrect address when posting bail
- Being arrested or charged with another offense while you are out of jail on bail
- Choosing an unreliable cosigner to help pay the bondsman services fee
- Failing to make your court appearances on time
- Traveling out of state or country while you are out of bail
- Failing to know your bondsman's work hours
Contacting a bail bondsman is vital if you are under arrest for any offense. However, if you make any of the above-listed mistakes before or after securing Salt Lake City bail bond services, you could compromise your odds of securing your freedom or increase the odds of a re-arrest.
Factors That Could Influence How Soon You Will Receive Your Freedom After Posting Bail
Once you post your bail bond, you could receive your freedom immediately or hours later, depending on the following factors:
- How busy the detention facility is and the number of arrestees waiting to receive their freedom on bail
- The number of officers on duty that day
- The number of paperwork needed to secure your freedom
- Whether or not you have an attorney
Having a skilled attorney who understands this legal process can increase your chances of securing your freedom as soon as possible after posting your bail.
Legal Penalties for Skipping Bail
Many people do not know it, but failing to attend scheduled court hearings (skipping bail) after securing your freedom on bond is a crime. According to Penal Code 1320.5 PC, failing to make your court appearances after being charged with a felony and securing your freedom on bail is a crime. A conviction under this statute will attract the following felony penalties:
- A fine amounting to up to $10,000
- Up to three (3) years of jail time
If you are under investigation or charged with a PC 1320.5 violation, you will rely on your attorney to help convince the judge or jury to drop the entire case or reduce your penalties. Therefore, if you have qualified for Salt Lake City bail bond services, you should comply with court-set terms to avoid unnecessary charges.
Remember, if you are arrested for an alleged PC 1320.5 violation, the court will likely detain you in jail without bail. That means you will remain behind bars until you receive a verdict on the alleged charge, which could take weeks, months, or years.
The bail bondsman you will choose to work with after an arrest will need the following courthouse and jail addresses to offer you quick bail bond services that you require:
Courthouse Address
Salt Lake City Courthouse
Jail Address
Salt Lake County Jail
Find a Bail Bondsman Near Me
As an arrestee, you have a legal right to be free before receiving the court's judgment on the alleged offense. Working with a bail bondsman to secure bail bond services is one of the most preferred ways of ensuring a pretrial release after an arrest.
If you are looking for dependable Salt Lake City bail bond services, we invite you to call our reliable bondsmen at 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds at 800-930-8999 to secure your freedom without delay.