There are several way to locate a bail bondsman. You can search online, in the Yellow Pages, by contacting the jail, or asking your lawyer to recommend one.
A bondsman is any person or corporation which will act as a surety and pledge money or property as bail for the appearance of a criminal defendant in court. Although banks, insurance companies and other similar institutions are usually the sureties on other types of contracts, for example, to bond a contractor who is under a contractual obligation to pay for the completion of a construction project, such entities are reluctant to put their depositors’ or policyholders’ funds at the kind of risk involved in posting a bail bond. Bail bond agents, on the other hand, are usually in the business to cater to criminal defendants, often securing their customers’ release in just a few hours.
Before contacting the bondsman that you have chosen, you will need to gather some information. The more information you have on hand, the faster the bond process will go. They even have a “bond by phone” process if you are out of the Lee County area. The information you should have before contacting them are as follows:
- Full name of the defendant, including last name as there may be multiple people with the same name.
- The date of birth of the defendant.
- The date of the arrest.
- The amount of the bail.
- A major credit card.