If you’ve been arrested and taken to jail in Pennsylvania, your first thought might be figuring out how you can get out. If you can’t afford to pay bail on your own, the best way to get out of jail is by reaching out to a bail bond agent near you who can pay it in exchange for a small fee. Find out what kind of process bail bond agent pa have and what they do with the money they earn when they release someone from jail.
The process of bailing someone out of jail
Bailing someone out of jail is an emotional process that can be difficult to maneuver. If you are the immediate family member or friend of the incarcerated individual, this process may seem even more complicated. However, there are ways that you can get your loved one out of jail and back home with the least amount of difficulty.
The first thing you should do is contact a bail bond agent. They will walk you through the steps needed to post bail. Some factors they will take into consideration include:
- The severity of the crime committed by the individual
- The person’s criminal history if any
- How long they have been in custody awaiting trial (or how much time they have left until their trial date)
- Their ties to their community (this includes relationships with spouses, children, and other people who depend on them)
How much it costs to use a bail bond agent
The cost of bail bonds can vary depending on the severity of the crime and any other relevant factors. For example, if the crime is considered especially heinous and there’s a chance that the defendant will flee, then it’s common for courts to set bail at $100,000 or more. On average, bail is about 10% of this amount. In Pennsylvania, you can expect to pay about $10,000 for a bond. However, most defendants’ bails are much lower because they either have a clean criminal record or they’re not deemed to be flight risks. In these cases, you would pay between $1,500 and $5,000. If someone has only committed a misdemeanor crime such as shoplifting, then their bail could be as low as $500 or even waived altogether.
