After posting bail, the defendant can be released within 3 to 10 hours. There are of course varying circumstances that can delay the inmate’s release, such as having to wait until the next business day for the bond payment to be processed and for the judge to approve the release. If you have a competent bail agent on your side, you should expect your release to be within hours once all the paperwork is signed, transferred, and processed.
How Long Can You Be Held after Posting Bail?
The answer to that question will vary from case to case. The reason for this variance is due to the volume of factors that are involved in releasing a defendant from jail. Take a look at some such factors:
Traffic
Just like any other bureaucracy, jail process times depend on how busy the jail is. If you have posted bail for a client and the jailhouse at which he or she is being detained is processing a high volume of defendants, it may take half a day to get your client out. The traffic of defendants has a great impact on how long it takes for your client to get out of jail after bail is posted.
Staff
Imagine going to the DMV to renew your registration on a Monday morning and there are only 2 people working behind the counter. Now imagine a crowded jailhouse in which your client is being held and there are only 2 officers on duty. The amount of staff working when your client has posted bail will also affect how quickly they can process his or her release.
Paperwork
There is a lot of paperwork that is involved in bailing out a defendant. In most cases, the officer overseeing the release on bond will check paperwork associated with your client very closely before release. This can also add to the wait time of release after bail is posted as most officers want to make sure they don’t release a defendant that has a separate warrant out for their arrest.
Luck of the Draw
Release on bond times can also be like a lottery. When bail is posted, your client’s name is put in with other detainees who have posted bail in the order in which the bond was received. By pure luck, your client may be the first to have posted bail and his or her name will be at the top of the list. In this case, the release time should be quite short. You can imagine the circumstance if your client is unlucky and their name is near the end of that list.
Can You Bail Someone out of Jail at Night?
Most bail bond companies worth their salt are 24-hour operations, meaning a family member, friend, or other acquaintance will accept payments at any hour of the day or night. With that being said, how quickly the person can be released from jail depends on the factors mentioned in the previous section. Your best bet is to search for a 24-hour bail bondsman near me and tell them exactly what your scenario entails.
How Much Does it Cost to Bail Someone Out of Jail?
Most bail bondsmen charge a 10% premium of the set bail amount. But they often work with clients regarding the down payment, which can be as little as 0% to 5% of the set bail. It helps if you have good credit and multiple co-signers who can endorse your bond. Since the bondsman needs to have some type of assurance, co-signers who own homes are more likely to meet the criteria. You won’t have to pay full bail.
How Long Can You Be Out on Bond?
Most states allow bonds to last between 90 and 120 days. Of course, you can’t simply apply this time period to any charge since the seriousness of the offense will strongly influence how long the person can be out on bail. Any previous criminal history will also be considered, as will the credibility of the people bailing the defendant out. In a theoretical case, the defendant could be out for even longer than 120 days, if the trial was delayed.
Helping your Bail Bond Clients
It helps to know about the courthouses and jails in your area. If you have been in this business for a long time, you probably know the traffic, efficiency, and processes of the local jailhouse and can give your clients a ballpark timeframe for release.
However, it is important to let them know the factors that go into release on bond and that release times are not an exact science. For more information, get in touch with us here are Bail Bond Cooperative.