How to Bail Someone Out of Jail
If someone you love is accused of a crime and goes to jail, that doesn’t necessarily mean he or she must stay there while awaiting a court appearance. In most cases, a judge will set bail for the accused, and if someone can furnish the designated bail amount to the court, the accused individual will be released. So how do you go about getting a bail bond should the need arise? Below, the experts at A Way Out Bail Bonds explain how to bail someone out of jail.
Know the Timing
Timing is critical when you’re attempting to bail someone out of jail because a judge must first set the defendant’s bail amount. Because judges are not always on the bench on weekends, if someone is taken into police custody, they may not be issued bail until the judge returns to work at the beginning of the week. If the arrest occurs on a weekday, a judge will likely set bail for the defendant within one to two days, and you can bail the person out after that point.
Gather Basic Information
Before you can bail someone out of jail, you’ll need to gather a few personal details about the incarcerated individual and the jail where that person is being held. You’ll need to know:
- The defendant’s full name and date of birth
- The location of the jail where the defendant is being held
- The defendant’s booking number
- The bail amount set by the judge
Make sure you know the proper spelling of the defendant’s full name, as well as the name, city, and state of the jail. To acquire the defendant’s booking number and bail amount, you’ll need to call the jail and ask.
Determine How You Plan to Pay the Defendant’s Bail
There’s more than one way to bail someone out of jail. If you have plenty of money or equity in property, you can bail someone out of jail without professional monetary assistance. Here are two different way you can do this:
- Cash bond. If you can afford to pay the full amount of the defendant’s bail in cash, you can furnish that money to the court, and the person will be released from the jail. If the bond is posted after normal business hours, you’ll pay an additional sheriff’s fee for processing.
- Property bond. If you have equity in a property (and that equity exceeds the bail amount), you can use your property as collateral to bail someone out of jail. The court will put a lien on your property for the full value of the bail, and the person will be released from jail. You’ll likely need to work with a bail bondsman or an attorney to furnish a property bond to the court.
If you plan to bail someone out on your own, it’s important to keep in mind that if the defendant fails to show up to all mandated court appearances, you’ll lose the cash or property you provided to the court. And even if the defendant appears at each court date as instructed, the court can still use the cash you provided to cover any fees or restitution the defendant must pay.
If you cannot afford to lose your money or property, or you cannot afford to wait months to get your money back, it’s never a good idea to bail someone out of jail by yourself. Instead, you’ll want to acquire a surety bond from a bail bondsman.
How to Get a Surety Bond in Texas
To acquire a surety bond in Dallas County or Tarrant County, you’ll typically need to pay 10% of the full bail amount and sign over collateral to a bail bondsman. The bail bondsman will then issue a surety bond to the court, and after the bond is posted, the defendant will be released from jail.
What You Need to Know About Using a Bail Bondsman
When you opt to use a bail bondsman to bail someone out of jail, the cash fee you pay is a service fee, which means it’s nonrefundable. You also risk losing any collateral you sign over to the bondsman if the defendant fails to appear in court as instructed.
Furthermore, because the bondsman will lose money if the defendant skips out on bail, the bail bondsman retains the right to locate and apprehend the defendant if the accused individual fails to appear in court. As such, if you’re planning to bail someone out of jail, make sure you’re confident that the defendant will not skip out. You stand to lose money, the bail bondsman stands to lose money, and ultimately, the accused individual will end up back in jail for failing to comply with court orders.
Need to Bail Someone Out of Jail?
If you need to bail someone out of jail fast, you need to get in touch with our team at A Way Out Bail Bonds. For nearly 30 years, we’ve proudly served the DFW metro, and we’re here for you too. We specialize in rapid release from all jails throughout the DFW metro, and we can also perform bonds by fax or email for your convenience. When you need to bail someone out of jail fast, give our team a call at (214) 760-9978 in Dallas County or (817) 261-2828 in Tarrant County. You can also contact our team online, and we’ll get back to you promptly.