Release From Custody Can Be Helped Along By A Raleigh Bail Bondsman

By James Jackson


It is a misconception that it is only hardened criminals that are arrested. Every year thousands of otherwise very ordinary people are taken into custody. In most cases this happens due to an error of judgement. Someone decide to drive after having a few drinks, for example. Or someone stupidly gets involved in a physical conflict. Luckily, in most cases and with help from a Raleigh bail bondsman, most of those arrested will be allowed to go free until their cases are heard.

No arrest should be taken lightly. An arrest is just the first step towards a possible criminal conviction. Such a conviction can have a very serious negative impact on the life of the accused and even the lives of his family. It is therefore extremely important to hire the services of a reputable and experienced criminal defence attorney as soon as possible when arrested. Until he takes over, the accused should refrain from making statements.

It would be impossible to keep everyone that is arrested in custody. The court therefore release most of those arrested until their cases are ready for the court. The rules for being released are strict, however. The accused may not meddle in the investigation and he is often required to remain within the jurisdiction of the court. If the court is not sure that the accused will honour these rules release can be refused.

In order to encourage accused to honour the conditions of their release, they have to pay a set amount as surety before they are allowed to go free. This amount is refundable, but only if all the conditions of release are kept. If the accused do not have the cash to pay for the surety, bondsmen can be approached. Bondsmen focus on providing loans to those that need to pay sureties.

Bondsmen charge rather high fees for their services. They know that their clients are anxious to go free and that they are willing to pay. Fees of between ten and fifteen percent of the total loan amount is normally charged. This fee is not refundable and can be quite large if the surety amount is high. The accused will be required to sign a written agreement and he has to pledge his assets as surety.

Sadly, many accused sign agreements with bondsmen without studying the terms and conditions. This can easily become a nightmare at a later stage. They sign the agreement blindly because they are stressed and anxious to be released. It is definitely best to rather ask the lawyer to handle all the dealings with the bondsmen. He can often negotiate a much better deal and he will quickly spot serious pitfalls.

The importance of strictly adhering to the conditions of release simply cannot be overemphasized. If any of these conditions are broken, the accused can be arrested once more. This time round the court will be more reluctant to agree to a release. In addition, the accused will forfeit the money he borrowed to pay as surety.

The system whereby those accused of crimes are released has many critics. They say that all accused should be kept in custody until their cases are finalized. This is not practical and it is, after all, the right of every accused to be considered innocent until found otherwise by a court.




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