Cash Bail Versus Surety Bonds: Decoding the Differences

The annual crime rate in North Carolina is higher than the national median, with 45000+ violent crimes and 235,000+ property crimes recorded every year. As a result, this state witnesses a high number of arrests on various charges. When a person gets arrested, they can seek bail to secure release and return home. Bail provides freedom from pre-trial detention and allows alleged offenders to reunite with their families as they prepare for trial. If your friend or family member gets arrested in North Carolina, you can contact a bail bond agent in Raleigh, NC to help with their release. Let’s break down the difference between cash bail and surety bonds to facilitate this process!

Secured and Unsecured Bail: An Overview

Before delving into cash bail and surety bonds, it is crucial to understand the concepts of secured and unsecured bail. When a person gets arrested, the Judge sets a bail amount depending on the case and the offender’s previous records. Based on case-related factors, the defendant may be eligible for secured or unsecured bail.

In the case of unsecured bail, the defendant must sign a document guaranteeing they will attend all Court hearings. They promise to pay the bail amount to the Court authorities if they fail to fulfill this guarantee. A personal recognizance is a form of unsecured bond without the obligation of paying a specific sum to the Court. It allows the defendant to get released based solely on their personal guarantee.

In the case of a secured bond, the defendant has to provide upfront cash or property collateral to guarantee the amount to the Court authorities. If they do not have the required money or a property asset to cover the bail amount, they may contact a bail bond agent to post a surety bond. This is where the differentiation between cash bail and surety bonds comes into the picture.

Cash Bail and Surety Bonds: How Do They Work?

If the defendant goes for cash bail, they can pay the entire sum to the Court authorities as security. If they miss hearings or skip bail, they stand to lose their money. However, if they fulfill the bond terms and attend all hearings, they can get a refund on the bail amount after subtracting the relevant Court fees.

Surety bonds, on the other hand, are provided by licensed bail bond agents. The defendant can contact a bail bondsman in Raleigh, NC to underwrite the bail bond on their behalf. The bail bond agent charges a small premium to cover their fee and posts the surety bond to facilitate the release. Typically, the defendant or their family has to pay a small percentage of the secured bond amount to the agent for providing this service. As a result, they can preserve liquid cash and minimize the hassle involved in this process.

Now that you know the difference between these two ways of making bail, you can contact the team at Absolute Bail Bonds for more information. They provide 24-hour bail bond services in Raleigh, NC to help reunite families and bring defendants home!