Questions and Answers:
Q – What is a Bail Bond?
A – The accused promise to appear in court and a bail bonding company’s guarantee to the court that the accused will appear in court.
Q – My friend just got arrested? How long will it be till they can be bonded out of jail?
A – In Harris County, it usually takes 8 to 12 hrs to be booked on a criminal offense, however it could take 12 to 16 hrs or even longer, especially on weekends & holidays.
Q – Why does it take so long for someone to go through the booking process in jail.
A – Harris County is the 3rd largest county in the US. Close to 100,000 people are booked in and out of jail every year.
Q – How long does the booking process Last?
A – If you are posting a non-arrest bond for yourself, it can take about 1 to 2 hrs. However, it could take much longer. If you are posting a bond for someone in jail, once the bond is posted, the defendant is usually released within 4 to 6 hours, but on weekends and holidays, it could be much longer.
Q – What is a non-arrest bond?
A – I cases where someone has a warrant for their arrest, it allows them to post a bond to avoid being arrested. The bond has to be posted by the accused at the HCSO Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 49 San Jacinto St. Houston, TX 77002. No one can do it for you.
Q – I just got bonded out of jail & I have court tomorrow, do I need to have an attorney present at my first court appearance?
A – NO, you are not required to have an attorney hired to represent you on your first court date.
Q – What is a co-signer on a bail bond?
A – A cosigner on a bail bond is someone who promises to be financially responsible for the bond and to keep in close contact with the defendant till the case is disposed.
Q – My wife and I got into an argument, she called 911 and I just found out I have a warrant for my arrest. Why is the bond so high?
A – In Harris County, the courts have a policy to set a high bond on the accused prior to them seeing a magistrate in the jail or the judge in the court. The reason for this is to insure that the accused has been put on notice not to contact the complainant in any way for 61 days called a protective order. Once the defendant signs the order, most likely, the bond gets lowered to a more reasonable amount.
Q – How long does the bond last?
A – A bail bond as long as it takes for the case to be disposed or dismissed, called the pre-trial period, until the case is finished / adjudicated.