Without Bail Bonds Grand Rapids Accused May Have To Remain In Custody

By Harold King


The vast majority of people lead ordinary lives and they never even think about the possibility of being arrested. They think that this is only something that happens to hardened criminals. There are nevertheless many thousands of very ordinary people arrested every year. Such people often made poor decisions such as driving while under the influence or getting involved in violent situations whilst emotionally charged. Luckily for them, with bail bonds Grand Rapids citizens can be freed almost immediately after their arrests.

Nobody should ever see an arrest as a minor matter. Law enforcement agencies do not arrest suspects unless they are very sure that there is sufficient evidence to prove that a criminal act has been committed. Anyone arrested should therefore get legal help without delay. The attorney will examine the circumstances and evidence and advise his client. Thereafter he will ask the court to release his client until a hearing can be scheduled.

The majority of those arrested are released until their cases appear in court. This is not an automatic process, however. The court needs to be convinced that the accused will not flee from justice and that he will abide by the conditions of release as specified by the court. Repeat offenders and those that pose a risk to society are often kept in custody.

If the accused is not able to post the amount set for his release, he can ask a bondsman for an instant cash loan. This is the speciality of bondsmen, who often practice close to the courts and police stations and who maintain close relationships with court officials. They arrange for the surety to be paid almost instantly and their clients will then be released without delay.

The convenience of getting instant cash to post bail comes at a hefty price. Most bondsmen charge a fee ranging from ten to fifteen percent of the total loan amount. This fee is not refundable. In addition, the client will have to surrender his assets as surety that he will repay the loan and he has to sign a comprehensive written agreement.

Sadly, many clients are shocked when they eventually discover just how strict and costly the terms and conditions of the agreement that they signed are. It is best to leave all dealings with the bondsman in the hands of the attorney in the first instance. He is better able to negotiate better terms and the accused is often in far too much emotional turmoil to make rational decisions.

Dishonouring the conditions of bail or the terms and conditions of the agreement with the bondsman can have serious consequences. The accused can be arrested and charged with additional criminal offences. He may lose the assets that served as security for his loan. He may even have to remain in custody until his case is eventually brought before the courts. Adhering to these conditions is therefore important.

There are those that vehemently oppose the system of bail. They say that the courts are releasing known criminals and that this poses a danger to society. The facts are very simple, however. It is a constitutional right to be seen as innocent until such time that a court finds an accused guilty of a crime.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment