Bail Bonds Blog and Resources
Visitor Guidelines for the Denver County Jail
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- Published: Sunday, 18 November 2012 19:06
- Written by Chris Ramos
Being incarcerated is never a pleasant experience. Whether you’re waiting for Denver bail bonds to go through and are locked up over night, or are in for a longer term at the Denver county jail, it’s an experience that most prisoners wish they could’ve avoided in the first place. How long a person spends in jail depends on different factors, such as the alleged crime and the defendant’s criminal history – if any – and other factors, but in most cases the judge presiding over the case will set bond.
Colorado Bail Bonds are a way a person is released from custody until court action takes place; if the person skips his or her court date, the bond is revoked (the person or bail bondsman who put up the money loses it), and an arrest warrant is issued. This is not a good situation to be in, as the judicial system takes a very dim view of bail jumpers. If resources are available, law enforcement will be dispatched to attempt to return the person to custody. In some cases, the bail bondsman may hire a professional bounty agent to attempt to find the defendant and return him or her to custody.
General Visitor Guidelines
If someone is in jail for a night or longer, there are strict requirements for visitors. The Denver County Jail and the Denver Sheriff’s Department have set the following visitor guidelines:
- Generally speaking, visiting hours are seven days each week, between the hours of noon and 7 or 8 pm. Call 720-913-3791 for more information, as the hours may be different at certain facilities or during federal holidays.
- People who smell of alcohol or appear intoxicated or under the influence of drugs are prohibited from visiting prisoners.
- Only 3 people are allowed per visit, and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
- According to the Denver Sheriff Department, personal visits from one friend or family member of an inmate are encouraged up to two times per week.
- Family visits for up to three friends or family members of inmates are also encouraged one time per week, as specified by Denver County Jail guidelines.
Factors The Court Uses to Set Bond
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- Published: Monday, 12 November 2012 18:33
- Written by Chris Ramos
When it comes to Denver Bail Bonds, defendants and their loved ones owe it to themselves to understand what a bond is and how the process works. In order to do so, a person should educate themselves, ask questions, and seek out answers on their own. This sometimes requires making phone calls to an attorney or a bail bondsman Denver, researching information online, or going to a public library to understand how bails work.
Essentially, bail is the money someone – an individual or a bail bondsman on a defendant’s behalf -- must pay to a court to get out of jail. If the defendant meets the terms of bail – returning to court or any other scheduled appointment – then the bail money is returned later.
Arapahoe County Bail Bonds work the same way as bonds in any other Colorado jurisdiction, but many defendants and their family may choose to work with a bail bondsman, rather than providing bail money directly on their own. A good question that defendants and their loved ones may ask is what factors influences how much the court will set bail at?
What to Know About Immigration Bail Bonds
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- Published: Thursday, 18 October 2012 19:19
- Written by Chris Ramos
For any foreign national who gets arrested, the criminal justice system in any country can be a painful experience, whether the person is dealing with Denver Bail Bonds or bonds in another location. As a foreign national, there could be cultural and language barriers and other issues that slow down the process of posting bail, even when Immigration Bail Bonds in Denver are involved.
What are Immigration Bail Bonds?
Immigration bail bonds are like other kinds of bail bonds in that they ensure that a person accused of a crime shows up in court as scheduled, except that they are posted to the Immigration and Naturalization Service instead of a regular holding facility like the Denver City jail. But regardless of the accused person’s nationality, standard bail considerations like the nature of the crime and the arrest record of the defendant apply when the court is assessing the risk of flight. Like other kinds of bonds, immigration bonds are immediately forfeited if the defendant doesn’t appear in court as scheduled.
Information that is Needed before calling a Bondsman
- Name, Alien Registration Number, home address, country of birth, and date of birth.
- Name of the jail or other facility where the defendant is being held, such as the Denver County jail.
- The full bond amount
- The name, valid address, Social Security Number, and the telephone number of the person posting the bond for the defendant.
- Acceptable forms of identification such as: a Permanent Resident Card, Passport with appropriate stamps, a valid driver's license, or state identification with proof of immigration status.
Types of Bail Bonds
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- Published: Saturday, 13 October 2012 19:10
- Written by Chris Ramos
There are many types of Denver Bail Bonds to be aware of, each one applying to a different person or set of circumstances related to the commission of a crime. For this reason, each bond has a specific purpose that you should be aware of. Unfortunately, if a defendant is already in the Denver County jail, it may be a little late to learn the specifics in advance.
Bail is a phrase used for money or the property that an arrested person uses to secure their release from jail before trial. If the defendant doesn’t return to court, the bail amount can be forfeited and seized by the court, and an arrest warrant is issued. In some cases, fugitive recovery agents may be hired to track down the accused and return him or her to custody.
A bail bond, on the other hand, is an actual contract that allows people to pay a small amount of the bail cost, usually around 10%, to a bail bond agency for their release. The bail bonds company then gives the court the rest of the bail amount and promises the defendant will return for trial.
Cash Bonds
Some people decide to just pay cash for their bail, if they’re able to do so, but keep in mind the money in your pocket could be required for more pressing needs, even though it’s returned eventually. Also remember that with Denver, CO Bail Bonds a defendant could be required to pay up to15 percent of the bail in order to be released. If bail is set at $50,000 that means the person would have to post $7,500 to be released from jail.
Federal Bail Bonds
Perhaps the most serious are Federal Bail Bonds, used when a defendant is accused of committing a federal crime. In this case, Colorado Bail Bonds of a Federal nature are more expensive than for other crimes. It’s in a case like this when having an experienced bail bondsman can pay huge dividends.
Bail Bondsman Licensing Requirements
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- Published: Friday, 21 September 2012 11:03
- Written by Chris Ramos
People who are licensed to sell Denver Bail Bonds are essentially insurance agents or producers who deal in Surety Bonds. According to the Surety & Fidelity Association of America, a surety bond is a promise that one party will pay another party a certain amount of money if the first party fails to meet a specified obligation – like showing up for a court date in the case of legal proceedings for someone out on bail from the Denver City jail.
Accordingly, a surety bond is a contract between at least three parties:
- The party or person who is the recipient of an obligation,
- The primary party or person who will be performing the stated obligation (showing up in court), and
- The surety, who assures the first party that the primary party can perform the duty.
To sell Colorado Bail Bonds anywhere in the state, a person must have a Colorado Bail Bonding Agent Producer License, signifying he or she is qualified to sell bail bonds. There are two authority types an agent may apply for: A Surety Bail Bonding Agent, and a Professional Cash Bail Agent.
In all cases where someone wants to sell bail bonds in Aurora, he or she must:
- Be a Colorado resident.
- Be lawfully present in the United States.
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Be trustworthy and have a solid professional reputation.
- Not have been convicted of a felony in the last 10 years, or completed probation or a deferred sentence for a felony within 10 years of release.
Avoid Bail Bond Scams
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- Published: Monday, 17 September 2012 12:36
- Written by Chris Ramos
According to some estimates, insurance fraud costs Americans nearly $100 billion a year, made up of all forms of insurance and its many subsets, including bail bonds in Denver Colorado. Like many other crimes, bail bond scams do not discriminate against gender, race, or religion and can be just as devastating as other forms of fraudulent insurance practices. Scams involving Denver Bail Bonds are just as plentiful as anywhere else in the country.
Criminals are becoming more sophisticated, using the Internet and mobile devices to perpetuate identify fraud and take steps necessary for bail bonds scams to look all the more real. Here are some typical bail bond scams to avoid:
- Cheap bail bonds, or bondsman who offer rates below the standards set up by the state. For Jefferson County Bail Bonds, as with anywhere else in Colorado, a bail bondsman can charge up to 15 percent of the bail set by a judge. So if bail is set at $10,000 a defendant can reasonably expect to pay up to $1,500 to the bail bondsman as a fee. The problem with cheap bail bonds is they prey on desperate defendants or their loved ones and are an example of the classic bait and switch scam: Offering a low rate to draw you in, then once you’ve signed the paperwork hitting you up with higher fees or financing offers. Many reputable bondsman who work the Denver County jail or immigration bondsmen in Denver offer financing, but they will always state up front reasonable expenses and what the costs will be to post bail and get someone out of jail.
- Bail bond agents who solicit clients in jails, court houses, or even crime scenes. Keep in mind that most states have stringent regulations in place stating when, where, and how a bondsman can solicit business. Almost nationwide, bail agents cannot offer their services from within a jail or courthouse. Competition naturally arises, causing friction not only between bail bondsman of ill repute, but also among well regarded companies who follows the law but also may feel the pinch from a sagging economy. Bail agents who engage such behavior are risking their license and reputation.