Most people don't understand what a bail bondsman's job is in the judicial system besides getting you out of jail. Our job is much more than that. Bondsmen have the duty of being with our clients' through the entire court process. This relationship with the defendants and their cosigners is important for the end goal of a bail bond…Appearance in Court.
Bailing Out of Jail
Our first job is to answer the phone or message about one of clients being arrested. We receive calls from all different type of people, and there is always an urgency to process a bond and get their loved one out pronto. A good bail bondsman understands this urgency and will not delay the bonding out process.
This is where our job really begins.
Once we write a bond for our client that has been arrested, we as an appointed surety agent go on record for that defendant's case with the clerk of the court. A bond is a guarantee that the defendant will appear for his/her future court dates. If the defendant fails to appear, they will receive a warrant and the courts will forfeit bail and bond. This is a bad scenario for both the bail bond agency and the defendant.
The bail bondsman will have 60 days from date mailed of forfeiture to either fix the failure to appear or pay the full amount of the bail to the courts. Our agents will do everything possible, including going to court with our clients, to fix the failure to appear and help remove the FTA warrant.
Bonding agency court notifications
A service that we provide for our client's is court date notification. It is important for us that our defendants are notified of upcoming court dates, you have to know to go.
Our office will always try to notify our client of hearings that will be important to attend.
Court appearances are not always mandatory for both the defendant and attorney, most of the hearings the defendant's appearance is waived through a motion from the defense.
I have been contacted many times by the public defender the night before court to relay a message that the defendant is needed there.
Using a bail bondsman is better than cash bail
We add the benefit of our knowledge of the court system. Bail bondsmen want to protect themselves, the defendant and the cosigner from the courts demanding payment of the defendant's bail.
The courts and court process can be very unfamiliar to most; it's not an easy system to navigate through. With the right bond agent you can get answers and a basic understanding of the next process.
Monetary bail has to be set at high enough amounts to make sure the defendant is held accountable for the crime. We are affordable as we only charge 10% of the full bail amount. Posting Cash bail at the jail takes away the ability to have a bondsman guide you through the lengthy court process.
The majority of the calls to my bail bonds office are for updates on our client's case, upcoming court dates, and sometimes just some counseling.
We pride ourselves to be available for calls most hours; we are a direct connection to help and answers starting from the arrest all the way to the trial.
In closing, our job does not end when our client is bailed out of jail. For the courts, our job is to hold our defendant accountable for future court appearances.
For the defendant, our job is to be a source of information and someone to rely on for help understanding the court system making this speed bump in life bearable.
Stop by our office, located at: 420 E Alfred St Tavares, FL 32778 or Call Tim Altman at (352) 343-6090 immediately, if you need HELP!