People or agencies that act as guarantors or
‘surety’ and pledge property or money as bail for
someone who has been accused in court are known as bail bondsmen. Usually the banks and insurance companies
intervene as the surety bonds on
other forms of bails in which the accused are hesitant to keep their
depositors' funds at the type of risk drawn in in posting a bail bond.
Benefits of
hiring bond agent
However, there are bail bond agents are primarily in this business just to cater to
criminal defendants. These agents are very often successful in securing the release
of their customers in some hour’s time. Considering the usually lengthy
procedure of being released by bail if you do not have enough bank balance or
contacts, these agents do a great job by using pledge money or other such
property. These agents have an unofficial agreement with the court authorities
in small towns and use their property or the ‘blanket bond’ as it is called.
What to
avoid?
Bail agents often employ ‘bounty-hunters’
to recover their bail money from the accused. These agents are not allowed to
operate legally in most countries except the US. There are around 18 states in
the USA where bail agents are allowed to carry a license that certifies them as
legal bondsmen under the jurisdiction of local court. However, if you do not
belong in the US, there is a good chance of being held accountable under legal
jurisdiction if you hire or become a bail bondsman. So, it is advisable to
check your legal rights well before you hire such an agent to help you out of
jail. Even when it is legal, you should be aware of the going rates charged by
other bondsmen and then hire one yourself. There are lots of cases where the
bondsmen have ripped off their customer and almost driven them bankrupt in the
process.
