Bail Process for Indiana Counties and Towns

The purpose of bail bonds is to ensure the attendance of a criminal defendant in court on their hearing date after being recently involved in an arrest or bail bond contract. For anyone that has been arrested or bailed out of jail in Indiana recently, it is crucial to understand the stipulations, responsibilities, and rules regarding bail out procedures. Below is a standard bail guide to show you how to post bail in Indiana. For questions, call one of our 24 hour bail bond offices anytime.

Standard Indiana Bail Bond Process

Following an arrest, someone is responsible for contacting a bail bondsman to start the bailout process. This is typically a lawyer, friend, family member, or the defendant themselves. If cooperative, the jail officials will allow a person to make as many calls as they need to get bailed out of jail. With bad behavior, this privilege can be taken away.
Once a bail agent is contacted, basic information will need to be collected. The agent will ask where the person is being detained, on what charges, length of time held, criminal history, residence information, employment history, and more. All of this information is pertinent to the bail bond process.
If the obligation of a bail bond is accepted by the purchaser, (i.e. lawyer, defendant, family, or friend), then a short series of documents will need signed and dated. This is a bail agreement or contract. They differ from state to state, and among bail bondsmen. These documents include: a Bail Indemnity Agreement, a Bail Bond Application Form, and a Receipt of Purchase.
If a person is bailing themselves out of jail, it is common for a bail bondsman to be dispatched out to the jail to pick the defendant up and take them back to their offices to complete the paperwork. At Woods Bail Bonds, we offer jail pick up services all throughout Indiana.
After all information is collected and the paperwork is approved, the bond agent can begin “posting” the bail bond at the jail the person is being held at. Depending on the charges, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. The bond procedure cannot begin until the jail is done processing the defendant. Jails can take as long as they like to do so, especially if the person was arrested under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Once they are processed, a good bail bondsman can gain them a release from jail in just a few hours.
After the bond is posted, the defendant is free to go home, on the obligation to show for all scheduled court dates and hearings. Otherwise, they will forfeit their entire bond amount and be eligible for re-arrest.

Bail bonds cost different amounts, depending on the state. Bail prices are mandated by law, and are not set by the bail bondsmen themselves. In Indiana, a bail bond agency can charge 10 to 15 percent of the total bond amount. Let’s say a person is arrested for the first time on an OWI charge; their bail may be set at $5000. This is just an example; there is no telling what a person’s bond amount will be because it depends on so many variables. Let’s just pretend the bond amount is 5,000 dollars; the bail bond company will charge a non-refundable fee of $500 to $750 for their services. The bond company pays the courts the rest of the premium themselves, out of pocket. If a person fails to appear for any scheduled court dates, the bail bonds agency can ask the courts to place an arrest warrant for the fugitive, and even hire a bounty hunter to bring them in and await their next court date in jail. If a person fails to appear and the bail bondsmen cannot locate them, they forfeit the money fronted to bail the defendant out of jail. This is why they place a warrant for arrest; to bring a person back to the courts to get their bond money back.

This is the standard bail bond process for Indiana. If a friend or loved one has been recently arrested, and needs bailed out of jail, contact one of our offices in Indiana to get professional service and support. We are open 24 hours a day and offer polite and reliable service. We can help you turn yourself in on an arrest warrant, provide inmate lookups and records, offer useful addresses and phone numbers, and much more. Call Woods Bail Bonds at 317-876-9600 for more information about the Indiana bail bond process today!