If you are looking for a way to help a loved one out of jail, you are certainly not alone. Every year, in the US, nearly 11 million people are admitted to jail, most of which are unconvicted. Of these, nearly half a million are unable to leave jail before trial because they simply can’t afford their bail.
While the US jail system is undergoing a drastic transformation, currently, only unconvicted people who can afford bails ranging from $250-$500 to $10,000 (the national average) or more can leave their jail cell before trial.
However, the time span between the initial arrest and the first trial hearing can be as long as several months or years. Spending this time in jail because you or your loved ones can’t afford to pay their bail represents a missed opportunity to build your case, collect evidence in your favor, and return to your daily life.
At 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds, we have made it our mission to make bail more affordable for everyone and give each unconvicted person equal opportunities to build their case. How? We provide cheap bail bonds, discounted rates, and tailored financing plans to help our clients leave jail within 10 to 24 hours.
Bail Bonds: An Overview
With bails ranging from $1,000 for misdemeanors to $100,000 for felonies and homicide, not all unconvicted people can easily find a way out of jail. And, today, there is no doubt that the two most popular options for people in jail are to just wait for trial in the facility or pay their bail.
However, if your financial situation does not allow you to spare the bail amount, there is another option: a bail bond.
Similar to surety bonds, bail bonds are an agreement that the criminal defendant signs. This agreement specifies that the unconvicted defendant will appear for trial or pay a monetary sum decided by the court in exchange for their release until trial.
The payment is guaranteed by your 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds bondsman so that you can return to your life and get the time you need to build your case before trial. When choosing this option, you will only have to pay a portion of your bail or a fee to your bail agent to get out of jail before your court date.
Benefits of Cheap Bail Bonds
In California, the average bail amount is more than five times higher than in other states, and it is not uncommon for defendants to face bails between $50,000 (the state’s median bail amount) and $200,000 for severe felonies.
While it might seem more convenient to remain in jail until your court date, choosing this option can compromise your sentence. Some of the benefits of investing in cheap bail bonds to afford your release from jail include:
- Taking advantage of tailored financing and payment plans
- Returning to your daily, personal, and professional life
- Earning money while waiting for trial
- Preparing your trial, collecting evidence, and building your defense case
- Working and easily communicating with your lawyer
- Protecting your assets from liquidation
- Maintaining your privacy, reputation, and confidentiality before trial
Unsure whether a cheap bail bond is the right solution to help a loved one out of jail? Here are the types of bail bonds to choose from.
Types of Bail Bonds: How To Find the Cheapest Bail Bonds for Your Needs
Bail - or the conditional release of an unconvicted criminal defendant - is an option available to most defendants who are not charged with capital offenses. The amount of bail is set by the judge during the bail hearing (or first court appearance) and should be within California’s statutory maximums (unless a defendant is a high-risk subject likely to not show up to court).
Here are some of the bonds available to unconvicted defendants to afford their release from jail:
- Cash Bail Bonds
Cash bail bonds are the most common type of bail bond, and allow defendants to pay the set bail amount in full immediately. For those who have cash liquidity, this is a straightforward way to find release from jail. If you adhere to court cases and responsibly show up for all of your hearings, the amount is returned at the end of your trial. If you fail to appear in court, the amount is forfeited to the court.
- Property Bail Bonds
Property bonds use real-estate assets, land, and buildings as collateral instead of cash and are best suited to those defendants who have resources tied into non-liquid assets. Unlike cash bonds, which are straightforward, property bonds involve a valuation of the asset, which can take time.
- Personal Bail Bonds
Personal bail bonds - also known as recognizance bonds - work on the assumption that the defendant will appear in court without having to pay money for their release. This system is used mostly in low-risk cases and can trigger an arrest order if the subject misses a court hearing.
- Surety Bail Bonds -
Surety bonds are the most easily accessible type of bond. These chape bail bonds allow defendants to get out of jail while only paying a small portion of their total bail amount. When choosing a surety bond, you will sign an agreement with a surety bond agency, which will pay the bail on your behalf. You will then repay the agency once your case has ended.
Cheapest Bail Bonds Options: Discount Options Worth Knowing About
As we have seen above, the court of California tends to set bail amounts much higher than the national average. At the same time, most surety bonds and bail bond agencies are required by the State’s law to ask a defendant a minimum of 7% of their bail to guarantee the remaining payment to the court.
This means that, if your loved one who is in jail wishes to leverage a surety bond to get released from jail, they will still need to pay a bondman’s minimum fee of 7% of their bail amount to the surety agency. However, generally, most bail bond agencies will charge a minimum premium of 10% of the bail amount.
In turn, if your loved one needs to afford a total bail of $10,000, they will still need to produce $1,000 immediately - which is not a sum accessible to all. That’s where discounted rates come in.
When opting for some of the cheapest bail bonds designed by 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds, it is important to understand two main aspects:
- Most defendants will need to ask a friend or relative to be their co-signer. The co-signer’s role is to ensure that the defendant will appear at their court appointments, thus protecting the bond agency’s money. In the case of missed court hearing, the co-signer’s assets (such as their car or property) will be used as collateral.
- The minimum required by bond agents to post bail is 10%. So, discounted bonds (1-8% down bonds)refer to the percentage that the defendant needs to produce immediately. The remaining percentage to fulfill the 10% requirement is to be paid to the bondsman after the defendant’s release from jail.
So, what are your options for the cheapest bail bonds? Here are some of the options provided by 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds:
- No Money Down Bail Bonds - 0% down bail bonds don’t require defendants to pay anything to secure the services of a bondsman. 10% of the bail amount will need to be paid to the bonds agency after the release.
- 1% Bail Bonds - similarly to 0% down bail bonds, 1% down bonds only require defendants to pay 1% of the bail immediately, which is an amount most can afford. The remaining 9% is to be paid after release.
- 7% or 8% Bail Bonds - with 7% or 8% down bail bonds, unconvicted people will only be required to pay 7% of the bail amount to secure bail.
- No Collateral Bail Bonds - 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds provides no collateral bonds that allow you to get your bail posted to court without having to secure your agreement with collateral.
How to Afford The Right Bail Bond
At 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds, we understand how difficult it might be to see someone you love in jail. That is why we are fully committed to making accessing a bail bond the easiest, most affordable process for all.
Once you have qualified for one of the options above and you have helped a friend or family member out of jail, we also offer a range of options to afford the remaining premium of your bond.
Some of the options you can benefit from include:
- Tailored bail bond payment plans - the experienced bondmen at 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds understand the financial consequences of seeing the family’s provider in jail. That is why we offer fully tailored bail bond payment plans that make getting a bail bond accessible to all.
- Financing for bail bonds - custom bail bond financing solutions are a great alternative to comfortably repay the percentage needed to get your bail posted.
What To Expect From 24-Hour Online Bail Bonds
At 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds, we know that, if a loved one ends up in jail, you will need to find a solution that is fast, easily accessible, and affordable.
Thanks to our cheap bail bonds, you can access the lowest bail bond prices on the market, with no hidden costs or interests.
If you are struggling to see the next step to take, our experienced team of bondsmen can provide consultation, information, and support - 24\7, online, and both in Spanish and English!
Get in touch today and make sure that your loved one can be out of jail within a few hours!