The staff at Always Me Bail Bonds would like to remind you...

You're innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Why spend the time in a cell???

Bail Bond F.A.Q.

Q.  What does a bail agent do?
A.   When someone is arrested a co-signer, usually a family member or friend, will use the services of a bail agent to obtain release of the defendant.  In addition, the co-signer may be asked to provide proof that they are able to pay the entire bail amount if the defendant "skips bail" (fails to make all the required court appearances, not just the arraignment).  There generally is no refund when the services of a bail agent is used.


Q.  What is bail?
A.  Bail is money deposited with a bail bond agent to get an arrested person temporarily released from custody.  It serves as a guarantee that the arrested person will make all of his/her required court appearances.

Q.  How long is a bail agreement good for?
A.  The bail bond agreement runs for the life of the case being bonded.  The premium is normally paid on an annual basis at the inception and each anniversary of the bond.  The premiums are not refundable and are fully earned regardless of the outcome of the case.

Q. What happens when a person who makes bail fails to appear in court?
A.  If a defendant fails to appear at all required hearings, arraignment, preliminary hearing, trial, or sentencing he/she has "skipped bail."  This means he/she has given up the right to stay out of jail while their case is going through the courts, and a number of events/actions usually occurs in sequential order:  One, the court will revoke the original bail and issue a "bench warrant" for the defendant's arrest.  Two, the bail agent will try to find the defendant and return him or her to police custody.  Once the defendant is back in custody, the bail bond can be "exonerated", meaning the bail agent will no longer be responsible for the full amount of the bail.  Three, if the defendant cannot be found and returned to the police, the bail agent must pay the court the full amount of the bail plus additional court costs.  And four, the bail agent will then seek to recover that cost from the co-signer.

Q.  What risk, if any, does the co-signer take when agreeing to be a co-signer on a bond?
A.  The co-signer accepts responsibility for the defendant and the full dollar amount of the bond if the defendant fails to appear for his or her court date(s)--"skips bail."
By signing for the defendant, the co-signer guarantees or "indemnifies" to the bail agent that they will be responsible for the defendant and for all money due the bail bond agency.

Q. What happens at an arraignment?
A. The defendant appears in court before a judge, the charge(s) are read, if the defendant cannot afford an attorney one is appointed, and the plea is entered. Generally, the defendant is brought before a judge for arraignment within 24-48 hours after arrest. The exact time limit varies from state to state, though the U.S. Supreme Court now required that if the defendant was arrested without a previously issued warrant, he or she must be brought before a judge within 48 hours so the judge may determined whether there was probable cause to arrest.