What is a bonding company?
While researching the Tennessee bonding company, let’s look at how a bail bond company operates.
Background Info
After an arrest is made, the defendant is placed in jail until the bail is set. Many times the bail amount is already pre-set for many misdemeanors and felonies.
Once the defendant knows that bail amount, he has options. If he can afford the bail outright then he can pay his bail and be released from jail until his court appearance.
Similarly, if a family or friend will bail someone out of jail, then the defendant is released and awaits his trial.
However in many cases, the defendant and family cannot afford to pay the entirety of the bail. Cash bail can be a small amount to extremely costly. A misdemeanor could cost one thousand dollars, but a felony could cost up to one hundred thousand dollars.
Even if a family member could pay a high price up front, they might not want to bail the defendant out if they are not trusted.
What then?
This is where bonding companies like the Tennessee bonding company come into play.
If you cannot pay bail, then you will either stay in jail until your court appearance or you can choose to use the services of a bonding agency.
Remember that a bonding agency does not have to take your case either, they will be looking at your case number, crime, criminal history, and a variety of factors to determine if you are worth the risk they are taking.
The bonding agency offers to cover the majority of your bail. In Tennessee, the bonding agency charges ten percent of the bail. If you have a $2500 bail then you will only be responsible for $250.
Once you pay the $250, you have bonded out and will be released. The bonding agency covered the rest of your bail amount.
You must appear for your court appointment because that is when the money is returned by the court and then the bondman gets his money back. You will not get your $250 back, that is the fee for using the bond agent’s services.
Also, note that there are legal fees in Tennessee added to the bail you are responsible for in your case.
If you do not appear then the bonding company will have to track you down via a bounty hunter to try to return you to court.
The difference between bail and bond
When researching the Tennessee bonding company, you might be wondering, what is the difference between bail and bond?
The word bail and bonds get thrown around a lot and can be mistakenly used interchangeably.
Bail is when the defendant or family can pay the amount in full, promising a return.
This is completely paid by the individual or family and the money is refundable when the defendant arrives in court.
Bond on the other hand is used when referring to the money paid with the use of a bonding agency.
This money is non-refundable and is handled by a third-party.
However, in both scenarios, you will be released from police custody.
Bail amount in Tennessee
Misdemeanors and fines in Tennessee:
- Fines start at $50 in Tennessee with class c misdemeanors.
- Class B misdemeanors are fined up to five hundred dollars
- Class A misdemeanors are fined up to twenty-five hundred dollars
Each misdemeanor increases in jail time as well from thirty days to up to eleven months.
Felonies range from E to A, E being the least serious category of a felony charge.
Felonies and fines in Tennessee:
- Class E felonies can be up to three thousand dollars of fines.
- Class D felonies can be up to five thousand dollars of fines.
- Class C felonies can be up to ten thousand dollars of fines.
- Class B felonies can be up to twenty-five thousand dollars of fines.
- Class A felonies can be up to fifty thousand dollars of fines.
Each felony increases in jail time starting with one year and up to possibly sixty years of incarceration.
