An arrest can be a frightening and challenging time. For those who are innocent of the crime they were accused of or arrested for, this time can be even more confusing. According to the Georgia Innocence Project, if 5% of individuals are actually innocent, about one in 20 criminal cases result in wrongful convictions. For those who are innocent, bail bonds service can help. Keep reading to learn more.

How Do Bail Bonds Work?

When you're first arrested, a judge will set a bond for your case. This is an amount of money that can be paid to the court on your behalf. If this amount of money is paid, you won't need to spend time in jail prior to your hearing. The money is paid and you are free to go home.

How Is Bail Money Obtained?

The bail money can be paid directly by you or by someone else on your behalf. In some cases, bail money is obtained through a bail bonds service. It's up to you to obtain the money in a legal and safe way in order to make bail.

What if I Don't Have the Money?

If you don't have the money to post bail, there are other options. A bail bonds service can help you get the money you need. A bail bonds service will allow you or a family member to put up collateral for the bond. This may be property or other valuables that would be equal to the amount of money. The bail company will provide paperwork to be signed to secure the collateral, and then the bail service will provide the money to the court on your behalf. Once you show up at court on your appointed day, the money is given back to the bail bonds service, and your collateral is safe.

What if I Don't Show Up to Court?

If you fail to show up for court, then the collateral will be sold to reimburse the bail bonds service. You will have no way of getting this collateral or the money back. This is why it's important to show up for your court dates.

Bail bonds help the innocent because it gives them a chance to get out of jail and arrange for their defense to prove their innocence on their court day. These are just a few ways that bail bonds can help. If you'd like to learn more, please contact our team at A to Z Bail Bonds today.