Your Reliable Source For Effective Bail Services

After an arrest, a person goes from being a suspect to a defendant regardless of the crime charged. The defendant is taken to the local law enforcement station – sheriff, police precinct, or otherwise – to be processed and booked.

After processes such as getting the basic information of the defendant, fingerprinting, and filing a photograph are accomplished, the defendant should be fully informed of their available options moving forward.

If the defendant is not deemed as an immediate or imminent threat to the public or to any specific person, then bail is granted. This is so that a defendant can be released from jail while waiting for trial. Our company provides bail services in and around New Bern, NC, 24/7.

Though the sixth amendment in the U.S. Constitution grants the right to a speedy trial, the definition of “speedy” may be up for interpretation. It is not uncommon that the set date of trial from the time of an arrest has been made can be six months or a year later.

Staying in jail is normally an unpleasant experience both for the unjustly accused and their family. That is why bail exists.

Bail, which may never be set to an excessive amount, as granted in the eighth amendment, provides the opportunity for the defendant to not spend that time between the arrest and the beginning of the trial behind bars. The bail amount is set by the judge, depending on the crime at hand and the background of the defendant.

Background means any record of a criminal act, mental illness, and alcohol or drug abuse as well as the defendant’s ties to the community. The higher the risk of a person running from law enforcement rather than attending trial as well as the severity of the crime, the higher the amount of the bail. On the other hand, the smaller the crime and the lower the risk of a defendant trying to run, the more accommodating the bail amount.

Bail can be paid in a few different manners, one of which is to release on one’s Own Recognizance (OR). This is when bail is waived by the court on your promise to attend all future trial dates promptly. This doesn’t require any payment and is rarely granted.

A cash bond is when you pay the full bail amount in cash or check directly to the court. This is meant to assure extra incentive for the attendance of the defendant at trial. Regardless of the case outcome, the full bail amount will be returned at the conclusion of the case to whoever pays it in the first place. Cash bonds are especially difficult for most people as it is an uncommon occurrence to have that much money easily on hand.

A property bond is when a defendant or someone related to them puts up a piece of property – like a house or a car – which is of equal or greater value to the bail amount. If the defendant doesn’t attend future court dates or “skips on bail,” then that piece of property is forfeited to the court automatically.

A surety bond is when a bail bondsman is used. This transaction involves paying a small fraction of the bail, usually only 10%, to the bail agent. It is the bail bond company that puts up the full bond to the court. This is the best choice available since it costs the least and is processed the fastest. Many courts and jails require the use of a bail bondsman for bail to be paid at all.

For 24/7 full bail services in select North Carolina locations, contact Grimes’ Bail Bonding and Notary Services. We offer total bail services as soon as you need them, including the notarization of any bail-related and non-bail related documents!