It’s not easy finding your way out of a frightening jail situation. What’s next? The answer isn’t always easy, but thankfully there are rules and laws in place to keep us innocent until proven guilty.
How can you legally and quickly get out of jail before seeing a judge for trial? That answer is simple, bail bonds. The process however isn’t always that easy. How high your judge has set your bail determines how hard it will be to post it. Bail Bond posting in Minnesota is a lot like posting a bail bond in the rest of the country. First, find yourself a bail bondsman. Then determine what their premium will be. Most bondsman will require a 9-10% fee. Example, if your bond is set at $5,000, you will need to pay $500 of that upfront. While this sounds simple enough, you also have to have something worth $5000 to put up for collateral. This will ensure you don’t “jump bail” or not show up to your court date.
Finding a way to put up collateral can be hard. Depending on what you need by way of value, not everyone has that option. A bail bondsman will want collateral because they are covering the full total of the bond and promising the court that you will appear. This means they are taking responsibility for your attendance to court on the day you are scheduled to appear. Failing to appear will cause you to lose your bond, forfeiting any collateral (car, house, property, valuables) you put up for the rest of your bond after paying the premium.
Now, a bail bondsman is not always needed in bail bond posting minnesota. Some judges will release you two other ways. The first of the two, is to release you on your own recognizances. This means you are responsible to get yourself to court without having to pay any money to the courts or post a large amount of bail with a bail bondsman. You will have to show up on your court date, if you don’t you will be placed back in jail. This release is normally for people with no prior record and no reason to flee the court’s jurisdiction. The second way is what is called a cash bond. A cash bond is paid in cash and does not require any collateral or a bondsman. Normally cash bonds are between $500 and $2000. These bonds are paid directly to the courts and will be returned after all court appearances are made, minus any fees.
Getting out of jail is not an easy process. Processing out of the jail can take several hours after posting your bail. While it’s a long process, it is the only way most people are able to go back to work and live their lives while dealing with the court system to determine the outcome of their case. Without posting bail you will remain in the jail until your court date comes and the judge can make a decision on the outcome of your case.
