A bail bond refers to the contractual agreement between the defendant and the bail agent who is backing 100% of the defendants appearance bail bond. The bail bond premium is the money paid to a bondsman to get a person out of jail. The bondsman is responsible for bringing the person back to jail if they fail to appear for court. This can only be done by a bail bond producer, who is licensed through the Louisiana Department of Insurance. Every Louisiana licensed bail bondsman must complete an apprenticeship, pre-license course, and a test. If you are unsure if the bondman is licensed ask for a license number. You can verify license numbers through the LA Dept. of Insurance.
When an individual is arrested, they are brought to the sheriff's office or jail to be booked and processed. They will be told their charges and bond amounts if they are eligible to bond. The Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure states that only certian people within the law can set bonds:
Art. 333. Authority to fix bail. The following magistrates, throughout their several territorial jurisdictions, shall have authority to fix bail:
(1) District courts having criminal jurisdiction, in all cases. (2) City or parish courts and municipal and traffic courts of New Orleans having criminal jurisdiction, in cases not capital. (3) Mayor's courts and traffic courts in criminal cases within their trial jurisdiction. (4) Juvenile and family courts in criminal cases within their trial jurisdiction. (5) Justices of the peace in cases not capital or necessarily punishable at hard labor. Amended by Acts 1975, No. 781, §1; Acts 1993, No. 834, §1, eff. June 22, 1993; Acts 2004, No. 833, §1.
Once a bond amount is determined, it has to be in writing in the form of a bail order.
Art. 338. Form and contents of bail order.
An order fixing bail shall be in writing, set the type and a single amount of bail for each charge, designate the officer or officers authorized to accept the bail, and shall be signed by the magistrate. An order fixing bail may issue on request of the state or defendant, or on the initiative of the judge or magistrates. Acts 1983, No. 370, §1; Acts1993, No. 834, §1, eff. June 22, 1993; Acts 1995, No. 989, §1; Acts 1999, No. 676, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1272, §1; Acts 2010, No. 914, §1.
This paperwork will be sent to the jail where the defendant is incarcerated. Once they receive the paperwork and process their bond amounts the defendant is eligible to be bonded. This is where the bondsman come in. You will contact a bail bondsman to find out the cost of the bail bond. Be prepared to answer questions about the defendant and about yourself if you are going to cosign the bond. Typical questions will include information about where you and defendant live, how many times the defendant has been arrested, how long the defendant has been living at address, and employment status. You, in turn, should ask conditions of the bail bond undertaking if you are the cosigner. Also, ask specific questions about the payment plan if you are going to put some of the premium on credit. The rate for a bail bond premium in Louisiana is 10% of the bond plus 2% of the bond (that will go to the sheriff's office), $30 bond fee per charge, and sometimes there are city fees as well. If the bond is under $1000, the premium is automatically $120 instead of 10%. Bail bondsman may also charge a $25 application fee. Sometimes bail bondsman may undercharge to gain the business but this is illegal and called a "rebate". If the bondsman over charges with other fees (gas, transport fee, etc.), you should look for another bondsman or call us so that we can tell you the correct price.
Here, at Jared Bail Bonds, LLC, we strive to treat all of our clients with respect and to be fair and honest with everyone. If you have any questions at all regarding bail bonds, or getting someone out of jail, we are here to help. Please call us at 318-255-4425 today!