Florida Probate Attorney

Bail Bond Agents

Posted on 24. Feb, 2010 by Admin in Uncategorized

Bail bond agents (bondsman) are those people (or, in some cases, a corporation) which will pledge money to the court system for purposes of bail. The posted bail will then act as a surety in relation to the guaranteed appearance of a criminal defendant in court. In most cases, a bank or some other financial organization would be willing to act as a surety when it comes to other types of contracts. These contracts may involve the construction of a building or other business projects. However, these types of financial institutions are not willing to take on the risks involved with posting a bail. Bail bond agents, in contrast, are actually in business to address the needs of criminal defendants. In many cases, they can secure the defendant’s immediate release from custody within just a few hours, day or night.

Bail Bond Agents Around the World
Bail bond agents are limited to the United States since, in other countries, bail amounts are usually much less and bounty hunting is an illegal profession.

History in the US
The first appearance of bail bonds agents occurred in the United States in 1898. This was the first time that a system was put into place, by a private agency, to post a court specified bail cash amount – thus guaranteeing a defendant’s appearance in court.

Security
Local court officials have established security agreements with bail bond agents in which a promised “blanket” bond will be put into place that is legally irrevocable. The blanket bond stipulates that the full amount of the court specified bond will be paid by the bond company, should the defendant not appear on their court date. In turn, the bail bond organization has an agreement with a bank or other credit provider to obtain the security needed to complete this transaction – even during non-banking hours. In this manner, it is not necessary for the bail bond agent to deposit money or property with the court each time a new client is bonded out.

Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

If you would like to know more, you can visit criminal law attorney Gary R. Jodat, at his website in Sarasota, Florida, by following this link.

Tags: bail bond agents, criminal law, florida criminal law attorney