Getting Out of Jail After an Arrest
It goes without saying that getting arrested is stressful and confusing experience – not just for the person under arrest, but also for their friends and loved ones. If you or your family member is jailed following a crime, your foremost concern should be the posting of bail. Bail is cash or a piece of property pledged to the court as part of an agreement that the defendant will return to court when ordered to do so. The defendant can also take advantage of Adams county bail bonds to help cover the upfront costs. If the defendant fails to appear in court, the court keeps the bail and issues a warrant for their arrest.
How Bail Is Set
Judges are responsible for setting bail amounts. Most jails have standard bail schedules that specify bail amounts for common crimes/misdemeanors. A person who has been arrested can often get out of jail quickly by paying the amount set forth in the jail’s bail schedule. On the other hand, the defendant may be required to see a judge before the bail amount is set (meaning at least one night in jail).
Luckily, The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that bail not be excessive. In other words, bail cannot be used to raise money for the government or to punish a person for being suspected of a crime. The purpose of bail is to allow the arrested person to remain free until convicted of a crime, and the amount must be no more than what is necessary to keep the suspect from fleeing.
However, bail is still a typically large expense. If you don’t have sufficient cash to cover the set bail amount, you’ll need to seek services from a bail bondsman. The bondsman will issue Adams county bail bonds that would serve as an alternative to a cash payment. Many people choose to seek bail bonds because of the cheaper cost required for the person to get out of jail.
To settle bail using the services of a Pennsylvania bail bondsman, you will simply need to contact one and negotiate the purchase of an Adams county bail bond. When a negotiation is reached, the bail bondsman will file or deposit the bond until the defendant’s release.