Can I get a Bail Bond with no Money?

Have you been granted bail but you don’t have money to pay for the bail? If yes, then this article is for you and you can know if you can get a bail bond with no money. Although a lot of people don’t know about this, not all kinds of bail require money to be paid. If you need help understanding your bail conditions and rights, all you have to do is to hire a bail bonds service in Wentworth or any other part of the country to help process your bail with the several bail options you qualify for.

Before we talk about how to post bail without money, it is important that you learn about the bail system and how it works. You need to understand the basics of posting bail, the types of bail, and the bail processes. 

How Does Bail Work?

The justice system in most countries runs under the presumption that until an accused is proven guilty, the accused should be considered innocent. Therefore, all those who have been arrested or charged to court have the right to move around and go about their daily activities freely until proven guilty. However, since the risk of such a person skipping town exists, there needs to be a form of guarantee. This guarantee is what is known as bail. Therefore, if an accused is to exercise his right to move around freely before his case is settled, they are required to pay bail.  

Bail can be collected in the form of money or real property that serves as collateral. As long as the accused shows up to the court hearing, and also obeys the conditions of bail, the bail paid will be refunded. However, if there is a breach in the bail conditions, the bail can be revoked and forfeited. The defendant will also be at risk of spending the remainder of the trial in jail until proven innocent.

Who Sets the Bail Amount?

The bail amount is set by a judge, after careful consideration of several factors. The defendant’s criminal record will be considered, how serious the crime is, and as well as the likelihood that the defendant will run away if bail is granted. The defendant’s financial resources, as well as how much of a threat he is to the community are also put into consideration. Once bail is set, the judge gives the defendant at least two options to use to post bail.

The defendant can either pay the entire bail amount, hire a bail bondsman or give the court interest in his real estate property. The court could also give the defendant the option of a personal recognizance bond, in which the judge grants the defendant bail, but the defendant does not pay any amount for bail or use collateral. The judge’s decision for PR bond is usually based on whether the crime is a nonviolent crime and the defendant is a first-time offender.

How Do You Post Bail Without Money?

If you do not have money to pay for bail, or the court is demanding you to pay an amount you cannot afford, you have the option of providing collateral to settle your bail. However, if you don’t have any real property to use as collateral, you could be granted an Own Recognizance (OR) Bond, a Personal Recognized (PR) Bond, or a Signature Bond. These types of bonds are given based on trust by the judge.

Own Recognizance Bond

If a judge finds out that you are not a flight risk, or sees you as not being a threat to the community, then he can grant an OR bond. First, the judge will have to review your case and check that the crime is not serious enough to deserve jail time while awaiting trial. The judge must also be able to trust that you will show up at the court for trial, as well as follow the rules set for your bail release.

Personal Recognized Bond

If you have a history of a criminal case, you can still get bail without payment. However, your criminal history must not be a serious one or a violent one. The kind of bail bond that can be given to you by the court judge is a PR bond. If you are granted a PR bond, there could be special conditions attached to it. This could include you going for therapy or taking some classes. As long as you are present for trial as scheduled, and you follow the rules of your bond, you will remain out of jail.

Signature Bond

A judge will grant you a signature bond if he feels you won’t run away once granted bail, and you are not a threat to the community. A Signature bond is similar to an OR bond because you do not need to make any form of payment, neither do you need a co-signer.

However, if the judge does not have trust in you enough to offer you any of these bonds, you can hire a bail bond agency to ensure you are free during your trial. A payment plan can be set up for you to ease the payment of your bail and ensure you are released from jail while you defend your case.