Securing a Release from Jail During Your Criminal Case

People who are arrested on felony charges often wonder how they are going to be released from jail. For most of them, the answer to this is that they will have to pay bail to secure their release. This is a financial surety that they will attend the court hearings they have coming up. When you first learn of your bail amount, you might wonder how you will cover it.

There are two options to pay bail. One is that you can make a cash payment to the appropriate authority to cover the entire amount required. The other is that you work with a bail bondsman. Typically, this individual will charge 10% of the bail amount. They may also require you to pay a fee.

If you cover the entire cost of bail by yourself, you will likely be entitled to get it back once your criminal case is resolved. You are required to keep track of your court dates yourself and ensure you attend them all. People who work with a bondsman won't be entitled to get their money back. The bondsman keeps it to cover operating expenses related to checking up on you and finding out whether you attend your court hearings or not.

One thing to remember is that no matter which option you use to secure your release while you await the disposition of your case is that missing court hearings will result in a warrant for your arrest. If this happens, you will likely have to remain in jail until your case is resolved because you might be considered a flight risk.