The bonding process does not have to be a scary one for any of your friends or family.а Below are the answers to the most frequent questions we receive over the phone.а
If you can't find your answer here, feel free to call us at 480-299-8008.
What is bail?а The purpose of bail is to give an arrested person their freedom back pending resolutions of their case.а The Eighth Amendment requires bail to not be excessive.а The bail amount is determined based uponаthe reasonable amount necessary to keep a person accused of a crime from fleeing before returning to court at the appointed time.а Fleeing, or "skipping bail" is illegal and will result in further penalties to the accused.
Why should I use a bail bond agency?а The main reason is the amount of money required to post bail is less through a bail bond agent.а If the arrested person were to post bail themselves, they would be required to pay 100% of the bail amount.а With a bail bond agency, the money immediately required is only 10-15% of the total bail amount.а
Why is collateral required?а Arizona is a collateral state, meaning that something of value (i.e. cash, credit card, house, car, etc) mustаbe equal to the bond amount being posted.а Collateral is given to cover the full bail amount in the event that the defendant does not go to court or follow through with theаrequirements of the court and the bail is forfeited.
How much does a bail bond cost?а Bail premiums are mandated by law in each state and are not negotiable.а In Arizona the premium is 10% of the total bail bond.а The bond agency will also charge you for expenses such as travel time, court appearances, and other out of pocket expenses.
How long does the bond process take?а The paperwork takes approximatley 30 minutes to complete.а It may take longer if there are mulitple charges orаyou do not have access to a fax machine.а Generally, a person can expect to be released within 12 hours after the bond is posted.
What information do I need?а The bond agency will ask you basic identification questions about the person in custody.а You will need to know the following:
- The person's full legal name
- The person's date of birth
- The county, city, and state where the person is being held
- The person's booking number
- What charge they are being held on
- The bail amount
If you do not know the booking number or the bail amount, the bond agency can determine that information as long as other personal identifiers are provided.