When a loved one is stuck in jail, getting them out becomes the top priority. However, many people are completely unfamiliar with the process of bailing a person out of jail. They do not understand the difference between bail and bond, how to find out the amount of bail that is required, or where to pay bail. Here is some basic information about Bail Bonds in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, including the difference between bail and bond, how to find out bail amount, and how to pay bail or bond.
What Is Bail?
Bail is the amount of money a defendant must pay to be released from jail before trial. Bail is not a punishment, and its only purpose is to ensure a defendant appears at trial. However, the more severe the offense and the consequences, the greater the likelihood a defendant will fail to appear. Other factors the court considers are the defendant’s financial resources, ties to the community, employment history, and history with any alleged victims or witnesses. Bail is refundable, as long as a defendant appears at trial, even if the defendant is convicted.
What Is Bond?
When a defendant cannot or chooses not to pay the entire bail amount, they can hire a bail bondsman. A bondsman acts as a surety to guarantee that the defendant will appear at trial. If the defendant fails to appear, the bondsman owes the court the entire amount of the bail. The bondsman charges a nonrefundable fee, usually a percentage of the total bail amount, to make this promise to the court.
How to Pay Bail
To find out whether a defendant is eligible for bail and, if so, to determine the amount of that bail, a person can check with the jail where the defendant is being detained. In Cedar Rapids, many defendants are held at the Linn County Sheriff’s Office Jail, and they have an online inmate roster that gives bail amounts for each defendant. To pay cash bail, a friend or family member can take the bail money to the jail or to the court that ordered the bail amount. To pay a bond, one must go to a bail bondsman. Wildside Bail Bonds is one of the best-known companies for Bail Bonds in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
