How to Get a Bail Bond in Kansas

Generally, a person accused of a crime in a Kansas court jurisdiction must be held in the custody of the court until he or she is proven innocent. Fortunately, the suspect has the option to be temporarily released before that certain “determination” is made and this is called Bail.  Bail is set or established by the judge during the defendant’s first appearance.  For some minor bad behaviors (such as driving violations), bail does not need to be set.

Usually, a friend, relative, lawyer or defendant will contact a local bail bonds Kansas company by phone and during the preliminary phone consultation; the company has to collect basic information about the situation.  This information should include where the detainee is being held, how long they have been there and of course the charges involved. Personal information such as current residence and occupation also have to be obtained. The bail company or agency will need this information to assess the risk involved in the bail bond.

Should the suspect opt to purchase a bail bond, he or she will have to sign some bail bond documents and that include a bail bond application, bail indemnity agreement and a receipt.  Once the paperwork is finalized, an accredited agent will post the bail bond at the correct detention facility or jail and this will result in the release of the defendant.  This process can take anywhere between 1 and 2 hours (ideally).  Note that the whole process cannot start until all the arrest and booking procedures have been completed.

Bail bonds can be obtained in most areas of the United States 24/7.  Bail bondsmen are on an “On Call” basis whenever they are not in their offices.  Other countries have a totally different policy when it comes to bailing out of jail.  The courts have numerous methods available for releasing defendants on bail and the judge is the one who determines which one of these methods is the most appropriate to use.

Signing the bail bond is a promise or guarantee that the defendant or suspect will appear in the specified date of the court hearing.  If the suspect fails to appear in the proceedings, this will cause the signers of the bond to pay the court the designated amount. In general, the amount of bail is calculated depending on the seriousness of the alleged offense or crime.  There are some instances that a suspect can be released upon his or her own recognizance which is defined as the latter’s written uninsured promise to return for trial.  A release of this sort is granted for somebody with a steady employment, stable family ties and a long history of residence in a certain community.  Violation of the terms of a bail bonds Kansas personal recognizance constitutes a crime and is punishable by law.

You can check to see if the bail bonds Kansas company you are dealing with is reputable by checking if the company is a member of the Professional Bail Agents of the United States (Pbus) Association.  Another quick check you can do is to look online at the Kansas Better Business Bureau (BBB), but not all bonding organizations are members.   Remember, they are putting their companies money on the line for you, so you shouldn’t be to overly concerned.

What is Bail?

We always hear the word “Bail” in the news or at least when one of our favorite celebrities gets arrested.  No I’m not just talking about Lindsay Lohan!   By definition, bail means the legal system that allows an accused individual to be provisionally released from custody. This is usually on condition that a sum of money or a tangible asset guarantees their appearance at trial.  This is based on the understanding that the accused party will return for trial or forfeit the bail and possibly be brought on charges of the crime of “failure to appear”.

The option of bail is generally extended to persons who have been charged with a crime that merits incarceration between the time of arrest and the date that the case will be tried in a court of law.  To simply explain the term “Incarceration”, it means that the person will be denied the normal liberty of movement.  Some people refer to it as detention by enforcement authorities such as police or military.

While it is true that bail can be granted after an arrest has taken place, it will still depend on the jurisdiction and the nature of the crime (especially).  The person has the option to bail out within a few hours after entering jail.  This is mostly applicable for relatively minor offenses and in situations that the chance of the suspect fleeing the immediate area is very low.

The amount of bail can differ from a small sum to a very expensive amount that would taunt many people.  Fortunately enough, the court does not always require the suspect to pay the entire bail amount before being temporarily released. In other words, the suspect may choose to post a fraction of the total bail and be granted a release until the specified court date.  A relative or close friend is allowed to provide the bail money required by the court with a pledge on the remaining amount.  In most cases, the suspect has to pay at least one tenth of the total bail amount.

How Do Bail Bonds Work?

When a person is arrested on suspicion of a crime, he or she will be taken by law enforcement agents to jail.  While waiting for the case to be tried in the court of law, the suspect will be held in jail unless he or she chooses to bail out.  So what exactly are bail bonds and how do they work?  Bail bonds are surety bonds which are used to guarantee the appearance of the suspect in court.  By its definition, bail is a financial arrangement that a bail bonding agency will make on behalf of the suspect.  The agency would have to act for the defendant and it will arrange with the court to have its client released from jail while waiting for the trial in exchange for money or collateral (tangible assets). The court will be the one to set the monetary value of the bail.

Bail bonds are considered as guarantee that the entire bail amount will be paid.  There are some courts though that will accept at least 10% cash down payment for the release of the criminal defendant.  The main benefit of bail bonds to the client is not having to spend all of his or her time in jail until the date of the trial.

Once the suspect is bailed out of jail, he or she is expected to abide by certain restrictions until the case is heard before a judge and this includes prohibiting the suspect from traveling outside the jurisdiction of the court.  There are some instances that the criminal defendant will have to ask for the consent of the court before he or she can travel elsewhere.  Electronic monitoring or scheduled visits with law officials may be required during the interim period.

When speaking about bail bonds, the suspect has to agree to attend to all proceedings related to his or her case.  Failure to do so with all the conditions set forth in the bail arrangement can lead to loss of the bail money and of course, what the suspects dread the most–immediate return to a jail cell.

Another resource that might be useful to you in finding bail bonds Kansas companies is the Kansas Bail Agents Association (KBAA)