When someone is arrested their first desire is to get out of jail.  A judge will set the bail amount that will allow for the defendant to be released. The bail amount can be very high depending on several factors. Bail amounts can range from hundreds to thousands, even as high as hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Unfortunately, many people cannot pay these amounts of bail. However, this is when the service of a Bail Bondsman can be used. .

How Bail Is Set

In South Carolina, when a defendant is booked into jail, bail is set based on that particular county’s bail schedule.  A bail schedule is a list of penal codes and the bail amount for each infraction.  Bail is set based on the bail schedule along with any other factors that may need to be considered such as the nature of the charges, the defendants criminal history and whether or not the defendant is a flight risk.  In many minor cases, the defendant can be released on their own personal rocognizance (PR).  In some cases, the defendant will receive a bail amount; however, for more severe cases, the defendant can be held without bail.

Why Bail someone out of jail?

According to the law, we are presumed innocent until proven guilty.  Working with a lawyer should be a main concern with a defendant and this is extremely difficult to do while in jail.  Another reason is loss of income.  Someone sitting in jail will ultimately lose their job and therefore their family will suffer. Bail is a promise made by the defendant to the court, that they will appear at all scheduled court appearances.  The fundamental reason for bail is to allow the accused to remain free and continue on with their life until their case is called before the court.

Cost of Bail

When a judge sets bail, the full amount of the bail must be provided to the court before a defendant can be released.  For example, if the judge sets bail at $10,000, the defendant must provide $10,000 to the court to be released from jail.  Because this is a large sum of money that most people do not have readily available, you should look to hire the services of a Bail Bondsman to help assist with providing the full bond amount to the court on behalf of the defendant.

Paying for Bail

Hiring the services of a Bail Bondsman will relieve much of the stress of dealing with the courts and jails to get someone out of jail.  A good Bail Bondsman will know how to navigate the system and get your loved one out of jail with little to no hassle to you.  Typically, a Bail Bondsman will charge 10% of the bail amount as a fee for posting bail for the defendant.  For example, if bail has been set at $10,000, you can acquire the services of a Bail Bondsman for 10% of the bail amount, or $1,000, to get the defendant out of jail.  Most Bail Bondsman accept cash, debit and credit cards as well as work out payment plans to help friends and family get their loved one out of jail.  Once payment is made or a payment plan is agreed upon, the Bail Bondsman will go to the jail and post a bail bond so the defendant can be released from jail.  The fee a Bail Bondsman charges is non refundable.

Responsibilities

When you use the services of a Bail Bondsman, you enter into a bail bond agreement stating that you assure the court and the Bail Bondsman that the defendant will attend all of their court dates.  In this agreement, you are known as the ‘indemnitor’.  As the indemnitor, you agree to be held fully responsible for the full amount of the bail should the defendant miss a court date plus any additional fees the Bondsman will incur associated with recovering the defendant and returning them to jail so they can go to court.  In most cases, the defendant does everything that is required of them and no additional fees will be incurred.

Unless someone has the full amount of the bail, the use of a Bail Bondsman is the most affordable way to get someone out of jail and back home.  Look for an experienced Bail Bondsman to handle your needs when your friend or loved one has been arrested and placed in jail.