Without A Wake County Bail Bondsman Many Accused Will Not Go Free

By Anthony Cole


An astonishing number of arrests are made by the police every year. Many of those arrested are considered to be dangerous or career criminals but the majority are individuals that live ordinary lives. They make stupid mistakes however. They drive when they are drunk, allow their emotions to overrule their common sense and take chances that they should never have considered. Once arrested, charges are laid but in many cases, with assistance from a Wake County bail bondsman the accused will be released.

Facing a criminal charge should be treated as an extremely serious matter. A conviction will mean a life long black mark on the good name of the individual concerned. It can ruin his career and his future prospects. It can have detrimental financial consequences. That is why it is very important to hire a criminal defense attorney without delay once arrested.

People are routinely released after being arrested because it is not feasible to keep every arrested person locked up. The courts are struggling with huge backlogs and it can take months before a case is finally heard. However, release is granted by the court only when it is satisfied that the accused will not attempt to flee from justice and that he will adhere to all the other conditions stipulated by the court.

In most cases the accused has to post an amount determined by the court to serve as surety that he will indeed appear for his trial. This amount must be paid before the accused is allowed to go free. If he cannot raise the money needed, all is not lost. He can approach bondsmen for a loan. Bondsmen specialize in processing loans for those that must pay surety.

Bondsmen are quick to come to the rescue of desperate accused but they demand a very high service fee in return. Clients will have to pay up to fifteen per cent of the loan amount as a non refundable administrative fee. They will also have to sign strict legal agreements stipulating how that money will be paid back. In most cases bondmen also demand that the client pledges some assets.

Not all bondsmen offer the same terms and rates. Sadly, most of their clients are not inclined to negotiate. They are stressed after being arrested and they are willing to do almost anything to be allowed to go free. They therefore often accept the first offer they get. This may be a mistake and it is definitely better to ask the attorney to deal with the bondsmen.

The courts are often lenient when they agree to a release but they are not lenient when the conditions of that release are broken. They may issue another warrant for arrest and order new charges to be brought against the offender. The money posted as surety for the first release will be forfeited. A second release will involve much stricter conditions and a much higher surety amount.

Those that vehemently oppose the bail system tend to forget that it is a constitutional right to be treated as innocent until proven guilty. They also forget that many thousands of cases are dismissed and that many accused are found to be not guilty. It would be a gross injustice to keep all these people in jail until their trials.




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