Bail Bonds Come in Many Shapes and Sizes

Hello, and welcome back to our blog! Here at In-N-Out Bail Bonds, we want to make the bail bond system as simple as possible. In trying to distill our information, we started to realize that there is a lot of information out there about bail bonds. With all of this information available, it can be hard for someone who is unfamiliar with the bond system to get a firm grasp on what bail bonds are all about. To combat this issue, we are going to give a quick rundown of the services we offer. We hope that after reading this post, you will come away with at least a little more knowledge than you had going in.

Bail Bonds are Dependent Upon the Situation

The first thing to realize about bail bond options is that they largely depend upon the situation of the person seeking bail. Severity of the offense, past criminal history, and the area in which a person gets arrested can all have an affect on the type of bond that needs to be posted. Below, we have listed the types of bail bond options we offer.

• Transfer Bond: Transfer bonds have a misleading title. These bonds are not used when a person in custody needs to be transferred, but instead are used when a person in one jurisdiction is attempting to post bond for a person in another jurisdiction. For example, if your best friend gets arrested in Dallas but you live in Waco, you can post bail for them in Waco without having to travel all the way to Dallas.

• Felony Bond: A felony bond, as the name suggest, is a particular bond set for an individual being held on felony charges. Because felony charges are the most serious type of criminal offense, felony bail requires a bail bond hearing. During this hearing, the nature of the crime, the individual’s financial situation, and risk of flight are all considered before determining whether or not bail will be granted. If bail is granted, these bail bonds tend to be the most expensive to post.

• Indictment Bond: An indictment bond is used after an indictment has been handed down. An indictment is simply a decision handed down by a grand jury deciding whether or not to prosecute an individual for a felony crime. While individuals who are indicted on felony charges are not always allowed the option of bail, certain felony charges allow for it. In this instance, bail will be determined based on the individual’s financial situation, and the person charged is expected to pay 10 percent of the bail. This 10 percent is intended to be a financial hardship on the individual should they choose to flee before the case can go to trial.

• Misdemeanor Bond: If an individual has been charged with a misdemeanor, it means they have done something that requires more serious consequences than an infraction but less action than a felony. Most traffic violations are considered misdemeanors when no injury has been caused, with driving under the influence leading the pack as the one to most commonly require bail. While misdemeanor bonds are the most common type of bond, they are also typically the least expensive.

• Probation Revocation/Walk Through Bond: This type of bond is used in cases where an individual has violated the terms of their probation. These infractions can range from failing to report a change of address, failing a required drug test, or simply failing to repay restitution. In these cases, when the violation is discovered, a warrant for the arrest of the offending individual is put out. If the individual then decides to turn themselves in, a walk through bond can be presented at the time of surrender in the hopes that the individual will be immediately released to continue their probation. This type of bail bond is up to the judge’s discretion, and largely depends upon how well the person was following the terms of their probation before the violation occurred.

We hope that this quick rundown has shed a little more light on the services we offer at In-N-Out Bail bonds. If you or a loved one find yourself incarcerated in the Waco area, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We will get you the bail bond you need, and ensure that you don’t spend any more time than necessary behind bars.