Common Bail Bond Myths in Cocoa, Florida
e only experience many people have with Florida bail bonds is through what they watch in movies and on TV shows. In many cases, they're surprised that the stories don't match up too well with real life situations. Not every bail bonds worker is a tough, tattooed biker who throws darts at an office dartboard and smokes cigars. This picture is one of the most common and inaccurate ones. The following are some of the other frequent myths surrounding bail bonds companies in the Cocoa, Florida area.
1. Bail bond payments always need to be in cash. In truth, many Cocoa bail bonds businesses take payments by credit cards and debit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Florida wire transfers, and direct deposits from a local bank.
2. Another myth is that you can negotiate bail bond amounts with the Cocoa jail. The bail bond amounts are set by a published Florida schedule that assigns certain bail amounts to different crimes committed in the state of Florida. The document is set each year, and the only ones who have the authority to lower any bail bond amounts are the judges assigned to the case in Cocoa. A common misconception is that you as a defendant can negotiate lower bail if you've never been in trouble with the law before.
Bail Bond Myth Number 3 in Cocoa, Florida
3. It's also untrue that bail bonds in the state of Florida need to be paid up in full before you can be released from jail. A number of Florida companies give their clients an option to pay a percentage of the bond up front and then work out a payment plan if they're unable to come up with the entire amount. The specific conditions of a Florida bail bond contract vary from one Cocoa company to the next. Some charge higher amounts of interest or payment plan fees, and some may have penalties for paying the balance off early. Some Florida companies can work within your existing budget to decide a certain percentage for you to put down up front.
4. An additional false belief concerning Florida bail bonds is that the fee paid up front is refunded if the defendant is found not guilty or if the charges are dropped. If you're placed under arrest in Cocoa, the two possible ways to get out of jail quickly are to post the bail in cash right away or to hire a bail bond company. When the full amount of the bail is posted right away, the money will eventually be refunded as long as the defendant makes all of his or her required court appearances. A failure to appear means that the bail amount gets forfeited.
Bail Bond Myth Number 5 in Cocoa, Florida
5. Bail bonds companies can only revoke a bond if the owners find a legitimate, well-documented reason for doing so. They can't simply revoke it if a Florida defendant falls behind on an agreed payment plan, which is another common misconception. Depending on the specifics of the case, the judge or the bail bond holder may set forth specific rules the defendant needs to follow in order to avoid the bail being revoked. An example could be abstaining from alcohol or drugs in cases of arrests for DUI. If the defendant fails to follow these terms, this is usually considered a good reason for revoking the bond amount in the state of Florida.
Looking for more information on bail bonds? Stop by and see our location in Cocoa. We are a short drive from anywhere on the Treasure Coast of Florida. See our map below.