When you or a loved one are facing jail time, it’s easy to get confused by all the legal terminology being thrown at your head. What does the right to remain silent mean? What is habeas corpus? What are all the different kinds of bail?
Luzerne County bail bonds can be confusing, but they are not impossible to understand. Bail is the money that is paid to the court by an arrestee as a promise to show up at court when their trial takes place. Here you’ll find a few different types of bail bonds and what they involve.
Personal Recognizance
For minor offenses which involve little or no risk, the arrestee can be excused from bail. However, he must be sure to show up to court, or else he could be arrested and held in custody until trial.
Surety Bond
When you don’t have the assets to pay your bond money yourself, a bail bondsman can help you pay it. You pay the bondsman a certain non-refundable percentage of the bond, and they will pay the full amount to the court. They assume responsibility for your bail, but keep in mind that they will come to hunt you down and make you pay the full amount if you don’t come to court.
Cash or Property Bond
Some people have the resources to pay their bonds. If this is you, then you can make a payment to the court in the form either of cash or of property. If you fulfill all your responsibilities, then the court will refund you the money or property in full, but if you fail to keep up your end, then the assets will be forfeited to the court.
So here you have a few basic types of bail bonds. There are more complicated, involved types of bail, such as immigration bonds or release on citation. However, these are the types you’re more likely to encounter. As you can see, the most important thing is to show up for your court dates on time. This will prevent many problems in the future.
