Frequently Asked Questions

What is Bail?

Bail is a constitutional right by which the United States criminal justice system permits the release of a defendant from custody while ensuring his appearance at all required court proceedings. BailCo and our staff are here to assist you through the process. Please call us at 1-800-422-4526 with any questions.

The Basic Process:

1. Arrest is made
2. Police Supervisor or Judge sets bail amount
3. Arraignment
4. Surety Bail Bond is posted
5. Defendant is released from custody
6. Defendant appears in court

What is an Arraignment?

An arraignment is the first appearance of the accused before a judge to address the charges against the accused, find probable cause,and to set, review, or deny bail. If the judge sets bail, the accused may post bail; usually cash or through a bail bond agent. Posting the bond through a licensed surety bail bond agent from BailCo will only cost you a percentage of the total bond.

This is commonly known as the bond premium. In Connecticut the Premium is 10% of the first $5,000 and 7% for every dollar over $5,000. The Premium is non-refundable. If the judge does not set a bond or sets the bond too high for the accused and their family and friends to afford, the accused will stay in jail until the case is over. You could qualify for a payment plan. Please contact a BailCO agent 1-800-422-4526 to explore the payment plan options, or in some rare cases a motion for a bail reduction hearing could be made in which the bond is reduced to a more affordable amount. This process however, will take at least one month.

How Does The Judge Decide Bail?

Judges make the decisions for bail based on many factors, including, but not limited to, prior criminal history, risk of flight, seriousness of the charges and ties to the community. If you have questions regarding a bond amount set by ajudge please call 1-800-422-4526 and a BailCo agent will be glad to discuss it with you.

Why Should I post a Bond?

Most professionals within the judicial system would agree that a defendant who is NOT in jail will have a better end result with the diposition of their case. While out on bond the defendant can obtain legal council, use all outside resources available to them to their benefit, retain employment, provide for their family and use rehabilitation services if needed.

Whats a Surety Bail Agent?

A Surety Bail agent is a person licensed through the State of Connecticut Insurance Department and appointed by an insurance company, who posts criminal bonds with the court. A surety bail agent performs an extraordinarily valuable public service to law enforcement and accused people alike. When a surety bail bond is written by a BailCO surety bondsman the state is the winner. The BailCO agent will help to ensure that the defendant is on time and appears for each court hearing. If the defendant does not appear the state is still saving money as the BailCO agent has a financial interest to locate the defendant and bring him back to court. The overworked police force does not have to spend their valuable time going out to re-arrest one of our defendants.

How long is a surety bond good for?

The bond is effective until full and final disposition of the case and no future court appearances are scheduled.

What is a Surety Bond?

Bonds that are posted by a licensed surety bail bond agent with the court that guarantee a defendant’s appearance. According to a study by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Statistics, surety bail consistently proved the most effective type of bail, as defendants released on surety bail committed fewer crimes and appeared for their hearings more often than any other type of release. This is because the appearance of the defendant on a surety bail bond is the sole responsibility of the surety bail agent.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR

1. Surety bondsman that say they can do the bond for less. This is not legal. By state statute bondsmen all have to charge the same amount. If they do post the bond for less most willwill have you sign a payment plan, which they will collect on later. If they do not and the authorities find out that the bond was posted illegaly it could have a negative effect on the outcome of the case.
2. If a bondsman offers to perform the service illegally, you should ask yourself what he/she may do with your personal information. What other illegal activities do they partake in?
3. When they say; “Pay me now, I’ll do it later.” Do not give a bondman money without a receipt and a copy of a contract.
4. If it is a large bond, the bondsman may not even have the ability to do it. Make the bondsman prove that they have the ability to post the bond.
5. Do they have a privacy disclosure?

PLEASE BE ADVISED

The bail industry like most industries, has those individuals that practice the business unethically. Some may take advantage of clients, such as yourself, with false statements and promises regarding fees, your responsibilities as a cosigner and what is required to post a bond. The most common environment for these “bad apples” is a courthouse or hanging out infront of a police department. They are easily identifiable by their unprofessional dress and their street like business methods. Many of these same individuals are currently being investigated by state agencies for scamming clients out of money in various ways. Please understand that BailCo Bail Bonds and its agents follow all state guidelines and policies regarding fees and procedures. A bond that is posted illegally jeopardizes the outcome of the defendant’s criminal case, may risk bond revocation, and the loss of finances.

To view recent enforcement actions you can visit; http://www.catalog.state.ct.us/cid/portalApps/EnforcementAction.aspx?cidNav=|48775|

What is collateral?

Something of value placed with you're BailCo surety agent to ensure the defendant’s appearance in court. Should the defendant fail to appear when notified and cannot be apprehended and returned to the custody of the court, the collateral posted could be used to cover the amount of the bail. An example of collateral could include a co-signer(s), signature, cash, land, buildings, vehicles, etc. The most common form of collateral is signatures of suitable co-signers.

Who is the Indemnitor(co-signer)?

The BailCO agent will require that a third party co-sign or post collateral for the purpose of indemnifying the bond and providing additional incentives for the defendant to appear in court.

The third party cosigner will often be a family member, which results in the active participation of the family in ensuring that the defendant shows up to court. Family involvement can induce strong incentives to appear in court.

5 Easy Steps for Posting a Bond:

1. Upon contact with a BailCO agent payment of the premium is made. This payment may include additional expenses for example; court filing fees, travel etc.
2. Bail Application and documents are explained by BailCO and signed by the indemnitor and defendant.
3. Collateral is provided by the Indemnitor and reviewed by the BailCO agent.
4. Surety Bond is promptly posted by the BailCO agent.
5. Defendant is released and explained his/her responsibilities to BailCOand the judicial system.

What happens when a person fails to appear?

The court issues a rearrest warrant for the defendant’s arrest and the defendant is considered a fugitive. A surety bail agent has the authority to take the defendant into custody. A failure to appear increases the indemnitors risk of forfeiting collateral and incurring additional expenses. Surety bail agents have the lowest fugitive rate with 3% or less of these defendants becoming fugitives. If a defendant does become a fugitive, Bailco bail enforcement agents usually find them and bring them back to justice. 1% of the fugitives are untraceable; for those we write a check to the court for the forfeited bail amount.

Is a Surety Bond my only option?

There are other types of bonds that exist. These other options tend to take significantly longer to post, have very strict requirements; such as appraisals and attorneys fees which are costly, take time, and require a motion before the court. If the defendant would like to ATTEMPT to change the type of bond or bond amount it is imperative that the defendant obtains qualified legal counsel. Please bear in mind that regardless of the quality of the attorney, there is no guarantee that the bond amount or type will change. It is entirely possible that the amount will increase depending on the circumstances of the arrest. If you do not have a qualified criminal attorney, please contact a BailCO agent and we would be glad to refer one to you. The primary benefit to posting a surety bond is the speed in which it can be done and the flexibility in which payment and collateral can be obtained. Many criminal attorneys would recommend ,if its financially viable for the defendant, to post the bond before the arraignment in most situations. Simply due to the risk of the bond changing in an unfavorable way.

What do I need to bond someone out of jail?

You will need the fee, a cosigner, and possibly some form of collateral.

What is the fee?

The fee for a bail bond in the State of Connecticut is 10% on the first $5,000 and 7% on every dollar over $5,000. For example a $5,000 bond would cost $500, while a $10,000 bond would cost $850. Feel free to call us for a free bond consultation.

Do I get the fee back after my friend or relative appears in court?

No, the fee is nonrefundable and fully earned by us once your friend or relative is released on bond.

How do I get my collateral money back?

Mail us a letter with your original signature. The letter should indicate the name of the defendant, and the name of the person who deposited the collateral. Collateral returns are processed the 1st of each month.

I have a warrant out for my arrest, but I don't have a cosigner. Can you still bond me out?

Possibly. Call us to discuss your situation. Generally you will need to put up collateral of some sort for us to do this type of bond.

What information do you need from me when I call?

The following is a list of information that will help us to do the bond as quickly as possible. When you call us you should try to have as much of this information as possible. Don't worry if you don't or can't get all the information; we can get it for you.

• Name of person in a correctional institution
• Birthdate/Inmate Number of person (in jail)
• Social security number of defendant if available
• Address of defendant if available

What is the largest bond you can do?

We can do any size bond. Feel free to call us for a free consultation regarding large bonds.

What is the smallest bond you will do?

Unlike some of our competitors we believe that every bond is important regardless of size. Our agents will respond to any bond.

I called another company. They said that a bondsman can not write a bond that is below $500. Is that true?

That is not technically true, however it is true that most companies will not write a bond that is less than $500. If you can deposit collateral with a credit or bank card for the full face value of the bond then we may be able to help out depending upon your circumstances, call us for a free consultation.

If I'm a co-signer for a friend or family member and that person misses court do I have to pay you the full value of the bond?

You are liable for the full amount of the bond plus expenses if your friend or relative does not go to court, however a failure to appear in court does not necessarily mean you'll have to pay the full amount of the bond. If you notify us of the forfeiture and make arrangements to surrender that person to the court you will only be liable for the actual expenses our company incurs. While there is no excuse for missing court we strongly encourage our defendants and cosigners to notify us of any unusual circumstances so that we can advise them as to the best course of action.

Who regulates your company?

The Department of Insurance is responsible for the regulation of surety bail bondsmen in Connecticut.

I was a cosigner for a friend or relative and they just missed a court date. What should I do?

Call us immediately. Our phones are staffed 24 hours a day.

What are your business hours?

Our phones are staffed 24 hours a day. We can and will do a bond anytime of the day or night including holidays.

What territory do you cover?

We have licensed agents throughout the state. We can and will do a bond in any part of the state.