Generally, a person's first thought when landing in jail is how to get out but fast. The usual way to do that is to post bail. Not everybody who goes to jail is bad; sometimes, good people get caught up in bad situations.
Bail is the temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial; sometimes, on condition of either cash, a bond, or property, the arrested person is willing to use as collateral to ensure that they will appear in court when ordered to do so. If the defendant doesn't show up, the court may keep the bail and issue a warrant for the defendant's arrest.
The judges are entirely responsible for setting the bail. Because many people want to and expect to get out of jail immediately (instead of waiting one extra day or longer to see a judge), most jails have very standard bail schedules that specify bail amounts for common crimes. Someone who gets arrested can often get out of jail fairly quickly by paying the amount outlined in the stationhouse bail schedule.
There are two different ways to post bail money in Utah. The first way is to pay cash directly to the court system. That means whatever the bail is set at for the defendant is what has to be paid for in full.
The other way is to pay for a surety bond. This is where the defendant's representatives go to a bail bonds company and pays them a fee, and the bail company will pay the actual bail amount. This is a route for people who cannot afford the full amount of bail. The bail company then becomes liable for the defendant on whether they show up to their court appearances and then will bring them back to jail.
Once Everything is set up, and the bail bond agent is paid, they will head to the jail and pay for the defendant to get out. This can take quite a long time, depending on how busy the jails are and what time it is.
Bail is based on several factors, including criminal history, the severity of the crime, and the type of offense. Utah has a uniformity code that lists specific bail amounts for a particular offense. For example, for a first-time class C Misdemeanor, bail is set at $340. The more serious the crime, the higher the bail will go. Felonies start at $5,000 and go up depending on the degree. Keep in mind that the bail will never decrease; it will go higher if anything, especially if you have a lot of offenses and criminal charges on your record.
Here at Sportsman's Bailbonds, we take pride in ensuring that nobody spends more time in jail than necessary. We realize that good people end up in bad situations, and we want to help. We want to get you in and out of there as fast as possible! If you or someone you know is in a bad spot, call us, and we would be thrilled to help you out. Don't hesitate, and we are open 24/7.