Many people who are arrested on criminal charges have very little money and cannot afford to pay bail. Their closest friends and relatives are in similar circumstances. Is there any way these men and women can help their loved one get out of jail without having to pay anything in cash right away? One possibility would be to fill out an application with a bail Bondsman in Iowa City, Iowa.
The First Possibility
Before applying for a bail bond, the defendant may want to have a public defender ask the judge to release the person on his or her own recognizance. This request is made at an arraignment or bail hearing. The lawyer uses persuasive techniques during a speech in court, using positive information about the client. For instance, if the defendant has no prior criminal record and has been working at the same job for more than a year, this supports the request. However, a judge might not grant this request or might only reduce the bail to a more affordable amount.
Ways to Pay for the Service Fee
The service fee for bail bonds typically is 10 percent of the cash bail, making this option much more affordable. However, that still leaves the applicant needing to pay the fee. For instance, if the bail was set at $10,000, the bonding company usually charges $1,000 as a service fee. A Bondsman in Iowa City, Iowa may accept an agreement for installment payments, but a down payment still must be made in many cases.
The agency might accept one-third of the service fee at the time the application is approved. This makes the situation much more manageable, as many men and women can come up with $330 over a few days if they really need to. If anyone in the family has a credit card, the agency may accept that first payment made with the card.
It may be possible to pay the down payment with collateral and then redeem the collateral with cash at a later date. Collateral might include a piece of valuable jewelry or the title to a vehicle. More information is available at an agency such as Wildside Bail Bonds.
