Florida Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
I get this question asked a lot: What should I do if a friend, family member or other loved one has been arrested?
A: If someone you know has been arrested, it’s important initially to gather all information possible so that we can assist you most efficiently. Prior to contacting us, try to obtain the following information:
1) Name of arrestee (important to note that the name under which he/she was arrested may be different than their real name)
2) Date of birth of arrestee
3) The arresting law enforcement agency
4) The place that the arrestee is being held
5) Amount of the bail (assuming it’s been set)
Don’t worry if you can’t get all that information. During our free initial consultation, we will be happy to assist you in securing the information that we need to commence zealous representation. If you’re able to pass along any information to the arrestee, please passionately inform them to keep quiet and don’t speak with any fellow arrestees and/or law enforcement officers. Let them know that you’ve contacted our firm and that we will immediately begin to aggressively fight for their rights.
What is a bail bond and how does posting a bail bond work?
A: A bail bond is one of many methods used to secure a defendant’s release from custody. The bail amount is set by a judge. The defendant can pay the amount and gain his/her release. Most defendant’s don’t have the financial ability to post their own bond so they use a bail bondsman, also known as a surety. The bail bondsman will execute some paperwork and essentially promises to forfeit the bond amount if the defendant flees and fails to return to court for any future hearings. Typically, a bail bondsman in state court will require a defendant to pay 10% of the total bond amount. That money is the cost of doing business and isn’t returned to the defendant once the case concludes. In federal court, the bondsmen typically require 15% of the total bond amount, which is also non refundable. If the defendant flees, the bondsman is on the hook for the entire amount of the bond.
Before agreeing to assume responsibility for a defendant’s release, a bondsman, invariably will require collateral from the defendant. Collateral could be cars, homes, boats, jewelry etc. In the few instances where a defendant flees and doesn’t show up to court, the bondsmen will sell the collateral in order to cover their debt to the court for the total bond amount. Only after the case concludes will the bondsman be off the hook for the bond amount.
Like with many businesses, there are honest and professional bondsmen and, unfortunately, there are many less than scrupulous bondsmen. The Law Offices of Mark Eiglarsh works with just a couple of the best and most honest guys in the business. Let us assist you by connecting you to compassionate and professional bondsmen who won’t take advantage of you during the most challenging and vulnerable of times.
Call us immediately: 305.674.0003 and visit our web site: www.EiglarshLaw.com
We are available 24/7 and will be happy to provide to you a free analysis of your case. We’ve also expanded our practice to assist those with personal injury and/or wrongful death matters.