Being arrested can be a frightening, life-changing moment for anyone—especially if you are not familiar with the laws surrounding arrest. If a friend or family member has been arrested, it’s important to stay calm, and find out as much information as possible about the detainment. Following the correct procedures will help make the process as transparent and simple as circumstances allow.
Step by Step
If you get a call stating your friend or loved one has been arrested, a million things will start running through your head, so it’s important to take things one step at a time. The first step is to know which jail your friend has been taken to. For example, jails in the Fort Worth and Tarrant County areas include the county jail, Mansfield, Arlington, and several other municipalities’ facilities where the person could be incarcerated.
Once you’ve located your friend, focus on how to get them out. It’s likely that a bail amount has been set, or will be set, depending on how long the accused has been in custody. Next, you need the answer to two questions:
1) Does your friend already have a bondsman?
2) If so, has their bondsman been contacted?
If the answer is no to both, then it won’t hurt to call a bondsman yourself, and seek advice on how to best move forward.
Posting Bail
Let’s go back to the step regarding bail, as it’s an important factor in determining whether or not your friend will be released from holding. Once the judge sets a bail amount, there will be several steps to complete.
The first will be to determine if your friend has a bail set that he or she can actually pay to be released or if the bond is too large and you will need to contact a bondsman to post their bail.
If the accused is not paying the money his or herself to make their bail, then you, as their friend or family member, may want to find a bail bondsman to put up their bail in order for them to be released.
The next option is for the accused to sign over the rights to a property they own in the amount of the bail. This can be a bit touchy, because if your friend doesn’t follow the procedures (including showing up for court), this property can be taken away from them.
A bond is a sound option when the accused doesn’t have the means to pay the full amount. Collateral is often part of the initial deal with the bondsman, so if your friend doesn’t keep up their end of the bargain, including going to all of their court appearances, bail will be forfeited and they will be arrested.
PCS Bail Bonds has been providing bail bonds services in Tarrant County for over 25 years. Contact us if you find yourself in the precarious position of being arrested, or if you discover that a friend or loved one has been arrested, and we can help you understand your options when it comes to posting bail.