Once a defendant has been taken into custody, they are transferred to an intake center where they are booked and put in a holding cell. Law enforcement use the booking process to accurately identify the defendant. They will also determine the person's past criminal history, if any, and begin their investigation. At this time, the defendant will be asked to give their account as to what events occurred that led up to their arrest. Once these steps have been taken, it will be determined if the defendant will be able to bond out of jail, and if so, how much will be needed.
In most cases, people cannot afford the entire bail amount. Contacting a bail bonds agent is the next step. They can write a bond contract so the co-signer only has to pay a fraction of the bond total. For the majority of situations, this is approximately 10% of the total bond plus any premiums or fees charged by the bonding agency. The bail bonds agent will go over the entire situation and help the co-signer understand what is going on. When everything is in place and financial responsibilities have been taken care, the defendant will be released on bond.
